GRISLY FIND / EXCAVATION NEAR CHINATOWN

Workers find human remains

ANCHALEE KONGRUT

Sewerage excavation work near Bangkok's Chinatown was suspended yesterday after workers found more than 100 pieces of human skeletal remains scattered under their work site on Charoen Krung road. The gruesome discovery was made by construction workers from Si Saeng Karn Yotha near their work site in front of Xin Hua Zhong Xin, a Chinese language school located opposite Wat Traimitr Wittayaram.

The workers reported their find to police around 3am yesterday before holding religious rites to pay respect to the skeletons, which were later sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification.

There was speculation that the skeletons might belong to Japanese soldiers who died in Thailand after invading the country during World War Two.

However, local residents were not very excited by the discovery.

''There are bones underneath every house in this area,'' said Kieng sae Jiew, an employer of an auto spare parts shop opposite the temple. ''This area houses a temple built by ethnic Chinese. Any site where a temple is located should also have a cemetery,'' he said.

Two years ago, a local shophouse owner found a coffin and human bones while renovating his place, he added.

Charoen Tanmahabrahm, a researcher of Thai-Chinese history, said it was believed that the areas surrounding Wat Traimitr Wittayaram and along Klong Lot canal to Hua Lamphong railway terminal used to serve as an ancient mass grave.

The grave dated back to the reign of King Taksin the Great of Thon Buri until the early Rattanakosin period more than 200 years ago, he said. People found guilty of treason were executed and buried in this area, he said. The mass grave was abandoned and later forgotten when King Rama IV had Charoen Krung road constructed in 1861, the researcher said.

General News
Bangkok Post
Thursday January 25, 2007