Thai boy, 14, dies of starvation at home, only drank tap water for a month

14-year-old Thai boy, Itthikorn Phonpibulsombhop, died of starvation in his home on Jun. 18.

The incident took place at Pak Kret district in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand.

What Happened

According to Thaiger, at 7:00am on Wednesday, Poh Tek Tung Foundation, a rescue foundation in Thailand, received a distress call from Itthikorn's uncle, Thotsaphon Phonpibulsombhop.

He reported that his nephew had died in his home, and that his brother's family had no money and had been surviving on tap water for the past month.

Thai Examiner reported that the Phonpibulsombhop family has been living in a 30-year-old two-storey concrete house, which sat on top of a plot of land measuring 400 square metres in size.

When the rescue team and police arrived at the scene, they found Itthikorn lying lifeless in the living room. Itthikorn's body was visibly malnourished.

There also appeared to be no signs of struggle or physical injury on his body, further substantiating the fact that Itthikorn had died of starvation.

Itthikorn's mother, Ananya Phonpibulsombhop, was lying beside her son. Her body was extremely weak and frail. She was unable to sit or stand up.

Like his wife, Yongyosakorn Phonpibulsombhop appeared weak and exhausted. He looked pale and his voice was barely audible.

As reported by Thai Examiner, Itthikorn's parents were rushed to the hospital for immediate medical care while forensic examiners were contacted to examine Itthikorn's body.

Yongyosakorn's brother speaks up

According to Thaiger, Thotsaphon said that his brother was the one who called him regarding Itthikorn's death that morning.

Yongyosakorn had told his brother that the family had not eaten for nearly a month and were surviving on merely tap water.

Thai Examiner reported that Thotsaphon revealed that Yongyosakorn and Ananya had not worked in years and had been living off inheritance money that they received after selling family land.

However, the money had eventually ran out.

Thaiger reported that Yongyosakorn had reached out to Thotsaphon a few times for his help in paying utility bills and he did, but Thotsaphon had no idea about the severity of the situation.

Neighbours had noticed

Thai Examiner reported that a resident living next door, Mr. Yan, had told the press that the family was reclusive and never left their house.

He further mentioned that he used to see delivery riders deliver food to their house up until about a month ago.

Mr. Yan said that he was unaware of the severity of the situation, and that if he had known, he would have offered to help.

Concerns over public welfare

Thai Examiner said rescue workers who were present at the scene were shocked at the level of starvation that had plagued the Phonpibulsombhop family.

The case has sparked public outrage in Thailand.

Many believe that Itthikorn's death could have been avoided, if there were sufficient welfare services and mental health outreach in place.

As reported in Thai Examiner, authorities and charity organisations are urging for changes, such as better community engagement and greater access to social services, to be made.

As of now, Ananya and Yongyosakorn are receiving treatment at the hospital and are no longer in critical condition.

Further investigation will be done to determine the cause of death of Itthikorn, though early indications have suggested that he died due to severe malnutrition and dehydration.

Top photos via Matichon