A prospective homebuyer was shocked to discover skeletal remains lying on a bed inside an abandoned house in Chiang Mai, Thailand, after visiting the property during a foreclosure inspection.
Police from Mae Ping Police Station said they received a report at around 5pm on Sept 15 about human remains found inside a house at No. 96 near a community market in Moo 6, San Phi Suea subdistrict, Mueang district.
Officers went to the scene with the village headman and forensic doctors from Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital.
The two-storey wooden house had reportedly been abandoned for years and was previously used as a shop. A large amount of furniture and belongings belonging to the previous occupant remained inside.
Downstairs, officers found a wooden chair and a bed covered by a mosquito net. When the net was removed, they discovered a body on the bed that had decomposed to the point only skeletal remains were left.
The remains were taken for a detailed autopsy to determine the person’s identity and cause of death. Authorities are also working to locate the person’s relatives.
Residents told police that the property belonged to a woman identified only as Sriwan, who had lived there with her son, known by the nickname “Tee”. Villagers said they had last seen the pair around five or six years ago.
They later heard that the house had been seized by a bank and that Sriwan had moved to Chiang Mai city to live with her children and relatives.
That explanation meant residents did not become suspicious about her whereabouts.
Police later discovered that Sriwan’s son, who had previously lived with her, is currently imprisoned in Tak province. At the time, Sriwan was reportedly 93 years old.
Authorities suspect the remains could belong to Sriwan, but her identity has yet to be officially confirmed pending autopsy and forensic examination results.
If confirmed, it would mean she may have died alone inside the house and remained undiscovered for five to six years.
Villagers said they had not noticed anything unusual around the property for months and had never detected the smell of a decomposing body.
However, they said a foul odour began coming from the house about two or three days before the discovery, although they could not determine its source.
The remains were eventually discovered when people visited the property after it was put up for sale, leaving local residents shocked by the discovery.
