A 49-year-old man named Thongrit Ploypheng reportedly withdrew funds from his “digital wallet” to give to his mother and purchase alcohol to celebrate by a canal. He fell into the water but was rescued safely by emergency responders, much to the relief of his family.
On September 26, 2024, at around 9:20 PM, the Udon Thani police received a report of a missing person in a canal, suspected of falling in and being in danger of drowning. The responders quickly rushed to the scene near a local irrigation canal.
At the scene, the team found various personal items—water, a case of alcohol, cigarettes, snacks, shoes, clothing, and a motorcycle—but no sign of the missing person. Later identified as Thongrit, the missing man was last seen drinking alone by the canal after parking his motorcycle by the road.
Video footage from a nearby store showed Thongrit drinking heavily and sometimes even lying on the road. It is believed that he walked into the canal to urinate and accidentally fell in due to his intoxication. The water in the area was flowing rapidly, complicating the search for him.
Family members expressed growing concern as the search extended for hours, sparking fears that he may have faced serious harm. They performed rituals to call upon spirits for assistance in finding him. Miraculously, around 9:00 PM, he was discovered about 3 km from where he went missing, in a confused state, wearing only his underwear, much to the relief of his rescuers and relatives.
Thongrit explained that he had ridden his motorcycle from his home in Nong Bua Lam Phu after withdrawing 5,000 baht from his digital wallet to give to his mother. After having purchased alcohol and snacks, he went to drink by the canal. He then fell into the water but was able to float downstream before eventually managing to get out.
His younger brother, Witthawat, recounted that he had been concerned about Thongrit’s drinking since morning, noting that he was aware of the withdrawal from the digital wallet. Despite initial despair about finding Thongrit, the family was overjoyed after the successful rescue, with Witthawat urging his brother to quit drinking to avoid future incidents.
This article was rewritten from a Thairath’s news article.
