In the bustling heart of Bangkok, an unfolding drama grips the city as search efforts intensify to locate Sarawut “Dao” Chanthason, a dedicated Thai construction worker who inadvertently became the center of a heart-wrenching incident. The events spiraled into motion on May 19, when Sarawut, aged 33, was swallowed by an unexpected landslide at the MRT Orange Line construction site on Lan Luang Road. He had the misfortune of tumbling into a 19-metre-deep abyss meant for the foundation pile of the upcoming Lan Luang MRT Station, entombed beneath the shifting earth’s unyielding embrace.
Construction at the site had carried on unabated under skies that seemed deceptively calm despite recent rains. Workers and site managers, armed with confidence in their routines, were blindsided by the landslide that bore no precursors. Among the throng of workers, Chart, a 41-year-old colleague, recounted the momentary chaos as the landslide claimed Sarawut amidst the lunchtime lull. He described the jarring sight—to Channel 7—of Sarawut nearing the pit to switch off his machine, only to be ensnared by collapsing soil. Chart’s reaction was instant; with nerves electrified by panic, he scrambled to summon aid via his phone. Despite being a newcomer on the job for just ten days, the tragedy struck him with profound disquiet.
Amidst the frenetic emergency response, a Royal Traffic Police officer emerged as something of a local hero, descending heroically into the void, armed with little more than a sling to create life-sustaining air pockets in the dense, tenacious earth. Alas, he could only burrow down to about 10 meters—the soil resisted with a gluey obstinance.
While laborious hands dig, the emotional toll echoes far beyond the site. Wiriya “Aim” Chuenta, Sarawut’s 33-year-old fiancée, spoke through tears to DailyNews, recounting a dream steeped in foreboding omens—a crow’s ominous flight, a flickering power outage at her home, and a sense of dread she couldn’t quite shake. The couple, bound by dreams of a wedding in the years ahead, had seen Sarawut diligently labor to build towards that reality—now side-lined to a hope and a prayer for his safe return.
The rescue mission has drawn a wide sweep of aid from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Thailand, and the Ruam Katanyu Foundation, rallying resources and expertise for the race against time.
Meanwhile, across the tapestry of Thailand’s current events, tensions and triumphs unfold. Whether it’s the anticipation of Phuket’s City Pride 2025 parade, Thailand’s pivot towards global wellness leadership, or incidents like a reactive landslide at an MRT site, they paint a vivid portrait of a nation ever in motion.
But for now, all eyes—be they wearily optimistic or tearfully hopeful—remain fixed on Lan Luang Road, each heart secretly repeating a mantra as rescuers slog on: let there be a breath of life yet for Sarawut “Dao” Chanthason.
Such a tragedy! I hope Sarawut is found soon. It’s so scary how these landslides can happen out of nowhere.
It really is scary. But shouldn’t there be more safety measures in place at construction sites?
I agree. It’s a huge company, and they can afford safety protocols to avoid this.
Agreed. It’s 2023, for god’s sake, we should be able to predict these things better!
Perhaps it was just bad luck. Sometimes Mother Nature shows who’s boss.
If I were working there, I wouldn’t feel safe now. What if it happens again?
I wouldn’t either. Those workers deserve to know they’re protected.
Exactly, and knowing a co-worker might not come home is terrifying!
Let’s hope this opens up discussions for better regulations.
I think this situation highlights the imbalance of priorities—economics over human lives.
Construction is a huge part of the economy, but I agree, human lives should come first.
What a horrible thing for his fiancée, Wiriya. I can’t imagine what she’s going through.
Heartbreaking! Let’s not forget the families behind these workers.
Yes, we should support them however we can, emotionally or otherwise.
Isn’t it incredible that a police officer tried to dig in there with just a sling? That’s real heroism.
Indeed. But he shouldn’t have been put in that position to begin with.
True heroism! But it reflects poorly on the site management that they were unprepared.
This is why I always feel nervous about big construction projects. One slip, and everything changes.
Reminds me of the environmental impact that is often overlooked. We’re disturbing nature without enough caution.
We need better tech to predict and prevent these disasters. Investing in that could save lives!
It seems like we, as a society, only respond after tragedy strikes. When will we ever be proactive?
True, but predicting everything is practically impossible. We have to balance caution with progress.
This event just shows how fragile our control over supposedly man-made projects is.
Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call for stronger safety legislation. Fingers crossed Sarawut gets out alive!
The media needs to keep this story alive. Public attention can help push for change.
It’s a grim reminder of how working-class people bear the brunt of infrastructural expansion.
Has anyone heard back from the company’s management about how they’re handling this?
I think they’re staying silent right now, which isn’t surprising but definitely alarming.
Heart goes out to the rescuers, it must be taxing knowing how critical the situation is.
With technology today, there should be a safer way to manage such rescues.
It’s harrowing that this happened in such a populated area; it could have been even worse.