Phang nga: Dismantling an old well in the middle of a palm plantation resulted in 4 deaths from suffocation. Tragedy struck when villagers attempted to clean an old well in the middle of an oil palm plantation, approximately 6 meters deep, before losing consciousness and suffocating. Neighbors went to help, but all four died.

According to Thai News Agency, the incident occurred in an oil palm plantation in Ban Saeng Tham, Khura Subdistrict, Khura Buri District, Phang Nga Province. Villagers recounted that two men initially went to clean an old, unused well, approximately 6 meters deep. However, upon reaching the bottom, they lost consciousness and drowned. Two neighbors witnessed this and followed to help, but suffered the same fate and subsequently died, bringing the total to four people. A fifth person nearly died when they attempted to rappel down to help, but upon realizing they were having difficulty breathing, they signaled to those above to pull them up just in time.

Even rescue workers who went down to inspect the area quickly withdrew when they found insufficient oxygen, narrowly escaping death. Officials suspect the cause was suffocation due to the confined space, low oxygen levels, and the possible presence of hydrogen sulfide gas from decades of decomposition inside the well. The recovery operation was difficult, requiring specialized emergency gear and protective equipment. All the bodies were eventually retrieved: Mr. Wahab, 51; Mr. Suton, 42; Mr. Suthat, 34; and Mr. Teeradol, 30.