Thai family buries wrong man, realises mistake after supposedly dead man returns home after funeral

A Thai family recently requested the assistance of a rescue unit in exhuming a deceased person's body in Thailand's northernmost Chiang Rai Province after realising they had buried the wrong man.

The situation came to light on Jan. 24, 2026, after their supposedly dead family member unexpectedly appeared in front of them alive, Khaosod Online reported, adding that this occurred after his funeral.

Died, buried

Prior to this, the 48-year-old man's family and relatives believed he had passed away in northern Thailand's Chiang Mai.

The man was later brought back home for religious ceremonies on Jan. 9 and subsequently buried.

After realising their mistake when he returned home alive, the family contacted the rescue unit to retrieve the buried body.

Thai media did not clarify why the family mistook the person for a family member in the first place.

Images on a Thai YouTube channel also showed the burial site where the wrong man was buried.

Investigation

Following this, the buried body was then returned to the deceased's rightful relatives for proper religious ceremonies according to their beliefs.

In light of this incident, Khaosod Online reported that an investigation has been launched to determine where the error occurred while identifying the deceased, so as to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Top photos via Khaosod Online, ข่าวช่อง8 and ช่อง8 : Thai Ch8