The Army has said that it will launch an investigation into the death of Private Phetcharat Kamlangying, who died while in detention at the 12^th Military Circle prison on 11 November 2025.

Pte Phetcharat Kamlangying

According to former People’s Party MP candidate Nitchanan Wangkahat, Pte Phetcharat, who was attached to the 2^nd Artillery Regiment, King’s Guard, at Fort Phrom Yothee in Prachinburi, had been sentenced to 15 days in detention at the military prison for unauthorized absence. He died on the 10^th day of his detention. Other detainees said he appeared to have a seizure before losing consciousness. When he was taken to the Fort Chakrabongse Hospital, doctors said he had no vital signs. An autopsy performed at the Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital found that he had an enlarged heart.

His family found his death suspicious, Nitchanan wrote in a Facebook post. She wrote that CCTV footage from the facility does not give a clear view of the incident, only that people were running to help, while there were inconsistencies in the testimonies given by other detainees.

Nitchanan wrote that other detainees called in a guard to take Phetcharat to the hospital, where he was declared dead. A prosecutor asked witnesses about when and where he died, but no one was able to provide an answer.

She alleged that, at the hospital, the family was asked to leave the room, which made them suspicious that something was done to Phetcharat’s body. A mortician at the temple who prepared his body for cremation felt a hard object inside his mouth but did not open it to check. After cremation, a spoon was found among the ashes. The family was given only the autopsy result and not the x-ray report and is still waiting for his medical records. Nitchanan also alleged that according to a conversation in a soldiers’ group chat, he was beaten to death.

In another post, Nitchanan said she was told by another conscript that about 12 soldiers and conscripts were being held in the same barracks in the military prison. During the day, they were ordered to cut trees in a nearby woods, when Phetcharat had a disagreement with another private, referred to as “B”, who was appointed leader of the barracks, about the amount of work each man was doing. That night, B called Phetcharat over and had him do push-ups as punishment. B then kicked Phetcharat three times in the chest, after which he lost consciousness.

Nitchanan’s informant alleged that the incident took place in a blind spot, so CCTV cameras in the barracks did not capture footage of the incident. He also alleged that B was a favourite of senior officers, and that other soldiers were ordered to keep it quiet.

A metal spoon reportedly found in the crematorium afer Pte Phetcharat's cremation.

According to The Reporters, one of Phetcharat’s uncles said that the family has always found his death suspicious, but went ahead with the funeral because they did not know about what happened. Meanwhile, the mortician at Wat Samakkhi Samoson said he found a metal spoon among the ashes of the skull. The mortician said that he checked Phetcharat’s body and casket before the cremation and did not see any spoon. Phetcharat’s family contacted the military prison after the funeral, but did not receive an explanation. The military claimed that it was caught up with the situation along the Thailand-Cambodia border, and that a commanding officer has to approve the  disclosure of information.

On 22 February, Army spokesperson Maj Gen Winthai Suvaree said that according to the doctors, Phetcharat died from heart failure and that there was no evidence of assault or report that Phetcharat got into a fight with other soldiers.

Maj Gen Winthai said in an interview on 23 February that no foreign object was found on Phetcharat’s body during the autopsy. He insisted that Phetcharat died from hearth failure and that his autopsy does not show that he was assaulted. He also said that conscripts are required to carry a spoon when training outside their unit.

Meanwhile, the 1^st Army Region commander has ordered an investigation into Phetcharat’s death and has temporarily transferred the Director of the 12^th Military Circle prison to the 12^th Military Circle Headquarters while the investigation is ongoing.

On 24 February, the 12^th Military Circle invited Nitchanan and Phetcharat’s family members to a conference. Officers ordered reporters to leave the room, claiming that some classified information could not be released to people outside the family. They said that reporters should speak to the family after the conference to get information.

Nitchanan requested that reporters be allowed to stay, but officers insisted that they could not release information to the media and that reporters could interview the family later.

Maliwan Kamlangying, Phetcharat’s aunt, told reporters after the family was taken to see the CCTV footage that the family is now questioning whether CPR was performed on Phetcharat. She said that of the 12 people in the room, the footage shows that four were not visible because of the CCTV blind spot and it was not clear what they were doing, while others were standing still. She also noted that her nephew does not have a history of a heart condition.

Meanwhile, Nitchanan said that according to the Director of the Fort Chakrabongse Hospital, Phetcharat was already dead on arrival and that it was not possible for a spoon to be in his mouth as doctors inserted a breathing tube and would have seen the spoon when they opened his mouth. Questions remained how the spoon was inside the casket when Phetcharat’s body was cremated. Nitchanan said that according to the prison Director, detained soldiers are not allowed to carry spoons inside the prison.

Maliwan questioned why they were shown the x-ray only of Phetcharat’s torso and not his head and neck, noting that the autopsy found that Phetcharat had lost a tooth. Doctors also did not answer her questions about Phetcharat’s heart condition.

Phetcharat is one of at least 26 conscripts who have died under suspicious circumstances over the past 17 years. Many were reportedly subjected to beatings as a “disciplinary action.” Some were said to have died following a sudden illness such as heatstroke and heart failure, while others reportedly committed suicide.