KAMPHAENG PHET – A tragic event has deeply affected the community in Kamphaeng Phet, after a sanitation worker from the Nong Luang Subdistrict discovered the body of a newborn baby girl in a plastic bag at the bottom of a yellow trash bin near a roadside in Lan Krabue.
Medical staff confirmed the newborn baby had been born alive before being abandoned. Police are now working to identify and locate the parents for legal action.
On 24 June, police from Lan Krabue Police Station received a report from a municipal waste collector about the discovery of a baby’s body in a roadside bin along the Kamphaeng Phet-Phitsanulok road, near Ban Wang Sai, Nong Luang, Lan Krabue. Officers arrived at the scene with local rescue volunteers.
The body was found inside a clear plastic bag, with no clothing, already showing signs of decomposition. There were no visible injuries or marks suggesting abuse.
Mr. Direk Banjong, 42, who drives the waste collection truck for Nong Luang Subdistrict, shared that he and two colleagues had been collecting rubbish since early morning. When they reached the bin at 10 a.m., the collectors noticed something unusual.
On opening the yellow bin, they found the plastic bag containing the baby’s body. They immediately notified the village head and police.
Following the initial police inspection, Mr. Direk helped transport the body to Naresuan Hospital in Phitsanulok for examination, as he is also a local rescue volunteer.
According to the preliminary autopsy, the newborn baby had died from a lack of oxygen, but doctors found air still in her lungs. This indicated she was alive at the time she was left in the trash bin.
Mr. Jetsada Joithung, 35, was the first worker to spot the body. He said a colleague had opened the bin and called him over, unsure if what they found was a baby or a doll. On closer look, he realised it was a baby and called for emergency help. Soon after, many locals gathered at the scene.
Jetsada added that he had never heard of a baby being left behind in the area before. He collects rubbish regularly and didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary that morning. The rubbish was placed as usual, but the baby’s body was lying uncovered inside the bin.
The baby’s neck was tied with a single layer of clear plastic, and the umbilical cord was still attached, showing she had just been born.
Mrs. Sureerat Boonsong, 51, who lives nearby, recalled hearing a baby crying twice the previous morning. At first, she thought it was a neighbour’s child. The second time she heard it, she wondered if the baby was ill, but did not leave her house to check.
She did not see anyone passing by, as most locals were out working. She insisted the baby’s cries were real and, to her knowledge, no local teens or migrant workers were pregnant. Only the village head’s daughter was expecting, but she was only a few months along.
Mrs. Sureerat believes someone from outside the village abandoned the baby at that spot.
Pol. Col. Cherdchai Muangsri, superintendent of Lan Krabue Police, explained they are investigating by collecting evidence in the area and nearby locations. Officers are questioning locals and using CCTV footage to trace the person who left the baby in the bin.
They are also checking hospital records for recent births in Lan Krabue and nearby districts. In the last 50 days, there were 10 births at Lan Krabue Hospital, four girls and six boys, all from neighbouring subdistricts. None of the registered births match the newborn found in the bin.
The baby’s body was sent to Naresuan University Hospital for a detailed autopsy. Doctors believe she was alive after birth, as her umbilical cord had been cut but not yet separated. The estimated time of death is between three and six days before the discovery.
A local rescue team held a brief funeral for the baby, whom they named “Nong Prowtawan,” at Wat Sawang Arom in Nong Luang. The body will be buried at the Golden Dragon Cemetery in Ko Sam Phi Nakhon.
For now, the funeral is on hold to allow time for possible identification of the baby’s family. Police continue to search for leads to find the person responsible.
