5-6-2024 (BANGKOK) In a remarkable turn of events that left an entire community reeling, a 72-year-old man presumed dead suddenly revived as rescue workers were preparing to collect his body. The extraordinary incident unfolded yesterday in Ban Dung District, Udon Thani Province, leaving both neighbours and authorities in utter disbelief.
At around 3 pm on that fateful day, Weerapol Raksameuwong, an administrator for the Ban Dung Update Facebook page, received a distressing report from residents of Ban Kham Bon in Na Kham Subdistrict. They had stumbled upon what they believed to be a lifeless body inside a house at 139 Ban Kham Bon, belonging to the elderly Khonsan “Tahok” Sosut.
Overcome by a foul odour emanating from the residence, concerned neighbours who had not seen Khonsan for three days decided to investigate. Upon arrival, authorities found a newly constructed house. Peering through the window, they were met with a harrowing sight – Khonsan’s naked body lying motionless on the floor, his limbs swollen, and surrounded by blood and feces.
Neighbours confirmed that Khonsan lived alone, as his wife resided in Bangkok, and his children worked abroad. They had built the house for him to reside in. Suspecting that he might have succumbed to a chronic illness, given the overwhelming stench and his absence for days, they immediately contacted the authorities.
Weerapol initially believed Khonsan to be deceased and went to fetch a white cloth to cover the body, pending the arrival of the police and a coroner for an autopsy. However, as he was on the phone and preparing to cover the body, a startling event occurred that defied all expectations.
“I noticed movement and saw Khonsan open his eyes and gasp for air,” Weerapol recounted. “I quickly dropped the phone and shouted, ‘He’s alive, he’s alive!’ prompting the rescue team to act swiftly.”
The rescue team from Na Kham Subdistrict immediately sprang into action, rushing Khonsan to Somdej Phra Yupparaj Ban Dung Hospital. News of Khonsan’s unexpected revival spread rapidly among the gathered neighbours, sparking a wave of shock and elation. Some could hardly believe their eyes, as the pungent smell from his house had led many to assume the worst.
