SAMUT PRAKAN: The Ruam Katanyu Foundation will reinstate the rescue volunteer whose "night with a corpse" last week caused an online sensation.
Ekaphan Bunluerit, personnel manager of the foundation, said its executives found 55-year-old volunteer, Noppadol Seethongkham, blameless in the incident. He had to watch over the body of a suicide victim on a river pier for six hours while police fought an overnight jurisdiction battle.
Mr Noppadol was sidelined after the story went viral, removed from the field and transferred to a day job at the foundation headquarters.
The inquiry at Ruam Katanyu headquarters in Samut Prakan took only an hour to conclude that Mr Noppadol was blameless.
The online post last week that sparked such wide reaction, including a photo of Mr Noppadol, was a distortion of the facts by a third-party internet poster, Mr Ekaphan said.
"We do not know the objective of the person who posted it. But the incident caused negative criticism, reflected badly on the police and had an impact on our organisation. We will find out who twisted the information and then ask police to take action," Mr Ekaphan said.
As Mr Noppadol was innocent of any wrongdoing, he would be reinstated, and would resume work in the field "in a few days".
Mr Noppadol said he had been working in the field collecting bodies at night for more than 10 years and the transfer to head office forced him to suddenly adjust his sleeping hours. He said he had no concerns any more and he thanked everyone who had given him moral support.
