Thai police suspect foul play in death of missing Austrian man (2025)

An Austrian man died in a canal in the northern province of Phitsanulok under mysterious circumstances after disappearing from his home for 11 days. Police suspect murder.

Officers from Wang Thong Police Station were called to investigate a foreign man’s body in a canal in the middle of a rice field in the Wang Thong district of Phitsanulok at 2pm yesterday, March 31. The canal was reportedly almost dry, with water only about 4 metres deep.

Among the trees and grass covering the canal, locals discovered the man’s body. He was lying face up and was believed to have been dead for several days. He was wearing black shorts and a long black sock on only his right leg. A pair of flipflops and a bottle of water were found near his body.

Officers suspected the deceased foreigner was the missing Austrian man, 77 year old Johann Perhap, who had disappeared from the home he shared with his Thai wife, Ratchanee Jaroenphap, on March 20.

Police summoned Ratchanee and other family members to the scene to confirm the man’s identity. Upon seeing the lifeless body, Ratchanee and her relatives reportedly broke down in tears. They confirmed it was Perhap, whom they usually called Uncle John.

Ratchanee did not suspect foul play in her husband’s death. She explained that Perhap suffered from Alzheimer’s and had difficulty walking, requiring a walker at all times. She believes he got lost and accidentally fell into the canal.

Ratchanee added that she and her family had previously searched for Perhap near the canal but had not found him because they had not entered the canal, and his body had been concealed by the grass and trees.

Despite Ratchanee’s belief that Perhap’s death was accidental, officers continued to investigate, suspecting foul play.

According to police, the route from Perhap’s home to the canal was extremely difficult to traverse, even for people without mobility issues. Officers suspect Perhap may have been murdered elsewhere and his body dumped at the scene.

The foreigner’s body is undergoing an autopsy to determine the cause of death. If no suspicious circumstances are found, officers will return the body to the family for a funeral.

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