NAKHON SAWAN: The body of a man missing since his car plunged into the Chao Phraya river on Friday night was found on the river bank in Krok Phra district of this upper Central province on Monday morning, police said.
The body was found by residents of Ban Wang Cha, or Moo 8 village, and reported to police about 8am.
Police from Muang police station, rescuers and hospital medical staff were sent to the scene.
The dead man was in a thick clump of grass on the bank of the Chao Phraya river, along with a strap-on bag.
The bag contained documents identifying the man as Teerapat Teerawongpaiboon, 27, whose parents are farm equipment dealers in Suphan Buri province.
Forensic police examined the body and took fingerprints. There were no signs of physical abuse on the body.
The man's parents arrived at the scene and confirmed the identification.
Teerapat's body was found about 15 kilometres downstream from where his SUV crashed into the river.
Police said he had attended his girlfriend's birthday party on Friday night in Muang district. After the party, the two left separately in their own vehicles heading for her house in Manorom district, Chai Nat province. The woman was driving ahead of him.
While taking a U-turn underneath a bridge across the Chao Phraya river in tambon Klang Daed in Muang district, Teerapat's SUV crashed through an opening in the barrier and went into the swiftly flowing river.
A search was quickly launched, with divers and several boats, and continued on Saturday and Sunday, but Teerapat was not found.
The search was resuming on Monday morning when his body was discovered on the river bank, downstream in Krok Phra district.
Police said they were investigating his death.
