LAEM CHABANG, THAILAND – Police in Chonburi Province on Monday, 8.30 a.m., discovered the body of 39-year-old municipal technician See Thongphao lying lifeless in a hammock behind the Laem Chabang City Hall building. According to officers from the Laem Chabang Police Station, early forensic inspection suggested the man had been dead for at least ten hours before rescuers from the Sawang Prateep Sri Racha Foundation received the emergency call.
Discovery Behind the City Hall
Investigating officer Lieutenant Somchai Pansiri reported that See Thongphao’s body was found with his legs crossed and his left arm dangling beside the seating area behind the engineering department’s workshop. The police investigation team confirmed there were no external injuries or evidence of a struggle. By the time the corpse was checked at around 9 a.m., rigor mortis had fully developed, placing the estimated time of death before midnight Sunday.
Rescue workers from the Sawang Prateep Sri Racha Foundation transported the body to a local hospital in Chonburi for post‑mortem examination. The forensic report, expected within seven days, is intended to confirm the suspected cause of death.
Colleagues Recall Final Weekend
At the scene, 42‑year‑old co‑worker Sakda Chaimueang told investigators that he initially believed Mr. See was sleeping when he arrived for his shift at 8 a.m. Monday. “I CALLED HIS NAME AND TOUCHED HIS SHOULDER — HE WAS COLD AND STIFF,” the technician recounted, adding that he informed his manager before contacting emergency services.
According to Sakda, Mr. See had stayed on the premises since Friday night, 27 May, after an argument with his wife. “He said he had no money left for alcohol and would just sleep here,” Sakda said, noting that he had given the man 100 baht for the weekend.
Family Tensions and Drinking Habit
The deceased’s spouse, Nit Suriya, 60, arrived at the city hall shortly after police secured the area. She confirmed her husband’s long‑term struggle with alcohol abuse. “I ASKED HIM WHY HE DIDN’T COME HOME — WE HAVE EVERYTHING, EVEN RICE AND LIQUOR,” Nit told officers, explaining that after a domestic dispute on Friday, she gave him clothes and toiletries behind the office building before leaving for her weekend market shift in Thung Sukhla.
Nit Suriya told police that her husband had several times stopped drinking abruptly in past years. She suspected that sudden withdrawal from alcohol might have caused a fatal shock. Officers recorded her statement as part of the ongoing inquiry.
Police Assessment and Autopsy Plan
Captain Wichai Damrongsak of the Laem Chabang Police Station stated that interviews with six witnesses, including relatives and staff, had been completed by 4 p.m. Monday. Preliminary findings suggested a natural death linked either to pre‑existing illness or alcohol withdrawal. No evidence of violence or theft was found at the site.
Because no foul play was suspected and the family did not request further investigation, police released the body to the rescue foundation for hospital transfer. The Chonburi public hospital’s forensic department will perform an autopsy this week, after which the family plans to carry out Buddhist funeral rites according to local tradition.
Local Context and Health Warnings
Located 25 kilometres north of Pattaya, Laem Chabang hosts one of Thailand’s largest deep‑sea ports and employs hundreds of municipal workers. Workplace counsellors from the Chonburi Social Development Office reported that several previous deaths in the district involved chronic alcohol use among municipal labourers.
Thailand’s Department of Mental Health has warned that sudden alcohol withdrawal can lead to cardiac arrest or seizures. The agency advises that every attempt to quit drinking should occur under medical supervision.
Health specialists in Chonburi list three key medical dangers:
– Long‑term alcohol consumption damages heart and liver tissue.
– Abrupt abstinence can trigger acute metabolic shock.
– Immediate hospital care is advised for anyone attempting withdrawal alone.
“ALCOHOL ADDICTION IS A TREATABLE DISEASE, BUT SUDDEN DETOX WITHOUT HELP CAN BE FATAL,” warned Dr. Preecha Nathaporn, head physician at the Chonburi General Hospital, in a statement issued Tuesday morning following the case report.