(Central News Agency reporter Li Zongxian, special report from Bangkok on the 3rd) In recent years, there has been a significant increase in cases in northern Bangkok, Thailand, where people living alone have died for many days and were not discovered until their bodies were decomposed. The number has increased from about 10 cases per year in the past to 70 to 80 cases per year. Forensic doctors pointed out that the cases not only involve the elderly, but also working-age people, reflecting the decrease in interpersonal interaction and changes in family structure in urban society.
Matichon Daily reported on the 2nd that Atthasit Dulamnuay, a physician at the forensic department of Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, said that when he received forensic specialist training in 2016, he found about one case a month of people who had been dead for several days and whose bodies had become corrupted. However, after he was transferred to Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital in northern Bangkok, the initial situation was similar, and the number of cases has continued to increase in recent years.
Atacit said that related cases in the hospital's area "have increased from about 10 cases per year to 70 to 80 cases per year." The current average is about one case per week, and there may even be three cases per week in hot weather.
The report pointed out that on average, about 5 to 8 decomposed bodies are found in northern Bangkok every month, and about 40 to 50 bodies are dissected every month. As a result, such cases account for more than 10% of the region's autopsy workload, a trend that continues to rise.
Atacit pointed out that the deceased were about 20 to 80 years old, and were not limited to the elderly, including working-age people living alone. He said that if an employee does not go to work for 2 or 3 consecutive days due to illness, the employer may notice something abnormal, and the renter may be discovered by neighbors smelling a strange smell.
The public opinion paper wrote that generally speaking, there may be no obvious smell on the body on the first day after death, but after about three days, the corruption becomes obvious, and people around may notice it and report it to the police.
He said that some of the elderly deceased did not have no children or relatives. Instead, their children worked in other places and their parents lived alone. Their family members may contact them once a week or even every month. Their deaths were not discovered until the body was decomposed.
Atasit believes that the increase in cases is related to changes in Thailand’s family structure. In the past, Thailand had more large families with three generations living under one roof. Nowadays, they have become nuclear families, and some people are unmarried or their partners live apart. When someone dies at home, no one else may be nearby to notice.
Even just sending regular messages can help confirm that people living alone are still safe, he said. If someone you normally communicate with suddenly loses contact, you can detect abnormalities early and go check them out.
The Opinion Daily quoted Atacit as saying that dying alone is not limited to poor people or renters. Some people who live in big houses, have pensions or other financial resources, but whose children work in other places or overseas, may also die alone without being discovered immediately.
He said that Thailand currently does not have a clear system to deal with the problem of people living alone, while other countries have care systems or use technology to monitor elderly people living alone, including abnormal activity warnings and imaging equipment.
