In a heart-wrenching scene at Wat Nong Phai in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Muang district, the quiet serenity of a temple was shattered as police and forensic officers inspected a somber sight – two bodies inside a car with a warm charcoal stove. It was a Friday night when monks, who made the grim discovery, reached out for help. The tragic incident involved an electrician and his elder sister, who lived with autism.
Around 9 pm, police and rescue workers responded promptly to the monks’ alert at Wat Nong Phai in tambon Phor Klang. Their attention was drawn to a black Toyota Vios, its engine lingering with a low hum. The vehicle, with Nakhon Ratchasima license plates, was eerily parked near a pavilion within the sacred grounds.
Inside, Yotthawat Khasabai, a dedicated 40-year-old electrician from the Provincial Electricity Authority’s Nakhon Ratchasima office, was found lifeless in the driver’s seat. His beloved sister, 42-year-old Yuwanida Khasabai, sat motionless beside him in the passenger seat.
The backseat revealed a melancholic setup: a warm stove with lingering ashes, a bag of charcoal, a bottle of cooking oil, and a roll of tissue paper, which hinted at a planned but deeply tragic end. Investigators concluded that the siblings likely succumbed to suffocation hours before their bodies were discovered.
Jiradet Phudtalae, the head of Nong Phai Moo 2 village, recounted to the police a sequence of poignant moments. Monks had observed the sedan’s arrival at around 1:42 pm. Yotthawat stepped out briefly to make a phone call and use the restroom, leaving the engine idling – a haunting prelude to the foreboding silence that would follow when he returned to the car.
As dusk turned to night, the temple grounds began to quiet, save for the persistent hum of the car’s engine. A concerned monk, ready to close the temple’s gates, approached the vehicle. He knocked several times on the car door but received no response. Worry creased his brows as he shone his flashlight inside, only to find a startling stillness. The monk promptly alerted the village head, along with police and rescue workers.
The revelations that followed unraveled a tapestry of sorrow. Yotthawat’s wife, engulfed in grief, shared with the police that her husband had been a man tormented by depression. The shadows of despair deepened after he received a court summons in relation to a fatal road crash that claimed a life. He was embroiled in a legal battle, contesting the charges, a struggle that had weighed heavily on his spirit. Meanwhile, his sister Yuwanida, who lived with autism, was under his care.
On that fateful day, Yotthawat had picked Yuwanida from her home for what seemed to be a simple family meal. He even extended an invitation to their mother to join them, but she had politely declined due to prior commitments. Little did anyone know that this would be the last time they would be seen alive.
Through the meticulous police investigation, it was discovered that Yotthawat had purchased the charcoal stove and other items before arriving at the temple. The series of events suggested a devastating plan of suicide by igniting the charcoal inside the closed car. His actions inadvertently caused his sister to suffocate alongside him.
The mounting tension from his legal disputes, compounded by his ongoing struggle with depression, might have driven him to such depths of despair. The police report noted that Yotthawat had a history of medical treatment at the Nakhon Ratchasima Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital.
As the night wore on, the heartbreaking scene left loved ones and officials alike grappling with a profound sense of loss. Yotthawat’s wife was inconsolable, her distress mirrored in the tear-streaked faces of family members. The accidental tragedy claimed two lives, casting a long shadow over the peaceful temple grounds that night.
This is beyond tragic. I can’t imagine the despair he must have felt.
But how can someone take another life, even if it’s accidental? Especially his own sister’s.
Depression can push people to do unthinkable things. It’s not about rationality at that point.
Exactly. It’s a mental health issue. We need more support for people in such situations.
Still, he should have thought about his sister. It’s just so selfish and sad.
Mental health struggles are often invisible until they manifest in such tragic ways. My heart goes out to the family.
It’s true. There’s so much stigma around mental health, especially for men.
Absolutely. The societal pressure to ‘be strong’ and not seek help can be deadly.
How could the monks not intervene if they saw the car parked for so long? Seems suspicious to me.
The monks did try to check on them. They just didn’t realize the gravity of the situation until it was too late.
I hope this tragedy brings more awareness to the importance of mental health care. RIP.
Carbon monoxide poisoning from a charcoal stove in a car? That’s not a common method. He must have been really desperate.
It’s a quiet and ‘painless’ way, I heard. Which is why some people might choose it.
I feel bad, but what about the legal system that drove him to this point? Could it have been handled differently?
The law is the law. He was involved in a fatal accident – there have to be consequences.
Such a sad story. But we should also think of how the legal issues and lack of mental health support intersected here.
True, society needs to have better support systems in place.
Indeed, it’s complex and there’s no single cause or solution.
This is so heart-wrenching. I hope they find peace in the afterlife.
Honestly, I’m angry. How could he do this to his family? They must be devastated.
Desperation makes people do things they normally wouldn’t. We can’t judge them harshly without knowing the full picture.
Maybe you’re right, but it doesn’t change what happened.
I know. It’s just a reminder of how dire the need for mental health support is.
Poor woman, living with autism and now this… It’s just so sad all around.
This never would have happened if mental healthcare was more accessible and stigma-free.
Theoretically yes, but it’s not always that simple. Cultural factors play a role too.
True, but a start would be to make help more available and educate people.
Tragic. I wonder if there were any signs that friends or family noticed but didn’t act on.
This story just shows how hidden and dangerous depression can be. It’s scary.
Stories like these make me so sad. Mental health issues are real and need attention.
The system failed him. Period. We need reform.
What a heavy story. I feel for both of them and their family. Such a huge loss.
Yes, and it’s a reminder that we need to check on our loved ones regularly.