PHATTHALUNG — A Thai tourist who had been missing for seven days has been found dead in a remote forest area above the Khlong Hua Chang reservoir in Tamot district, with a bullet later discovered lodged inside his skull during an initial examination at the scene.

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The victim, identified as Yuttana, also known as Kim, aged 29, was recovered on April 10, 2026, at approximately 11:30 p.m. by rescue teams who had been searching the difficult-to-access terrain. Emergency services from the Khao Hua Chang municipal rescue unit were alerted at around 4:00 p.m. that same day after a local villager reported finding a man in distress in the forest. The area is notoriously hard to reach, requiring travel by boat for approximately two kilometres followed by a further two kilometres on foot through dense vegetation. When rescue teams finally arrived at the location, the man had already died, despite earlier reports that he had still been conscious when first discovered by a local hunter.

The victim had reportedly entered the forest with three friends but became separated from the group during the trip. He was first found near a stream above the reservoir by a 56-year-old local hunter named Boonterm, who said the man was still able to speak when discovered and identified himself as Kim from Ban Na in Srinakharin district. By the time official rescue teams reached the remote location, however, he had succumbed to his injuries.

Police and forensic officers, led by investigators from Tamot Police Station, examined the scene and noted multiple abrasions on the body, a deep head wound of approximately three centimetres on the right side of the skull, and the presence of a bullet lodged in the cranium. Only 20 baht in cash was reportedly found with the deceased. Officers also noted that the victim had a prior record involving firearms-related offences.

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Investigators are continuing to establish how the group became separated and the exact circumstances leading to the fatal injury. The victim’s father has also raised questions about his son’s activities and companions prior to him being found. Police have said they will continue questioning witnesses and reviewing evidence from the forest area to reconstruct the timeline of events and confirm precisely how the bullet wound occurred. No conclusions have been drawn at this stage, and further updates are expected as the investigation progresses.

-Thailand News (TN)