Capt Kraison Boonprasop of the Thalang Police was called to the scene, in Baan Pru Champa, Moo 8, Thepkrasattri, at about 10am by the missing worker’s employer, Paisit Uthitkul.
Mr Paisit is also the village head of Moo 1, Thepkrasattri.
Police and Kusoldharm rescue workers arrived to find Mr Paisit waiting beside the pond, holding a shirt that belonged to his missing worker, named by police so far only as “Mr Ko”.
As Mr Paisit and other Myanmar workers at the plantation had been unable to find Mr Ko, four divers from the rescue foundation were asked to search the pond, where it took only 15 minutes for them to find and recover the body of Mr Ko.
Mr Ko’s body, dressed only ni black shorts, was found only about 15 metres from the edge of the pond.
Police noted that his body showed no signs of a struggle. His body was taken to Thalang Hospital for examination to confirm the cause of death.
Mr Paisit told police that he, Mr Ko and other three workers had been coming to the plantation every day to plant durian trees.
Yesterday, about 10 minutes after arriving, he could not find Mr Ko. He asked the other workers where Mr Ko was, but none of them knew, Mr Paisit said.
“We searched for him until we found his shirt on the edge of the pond, which is not far from where we are planting durian. Then we called the police and rescue workers to come,” he said.
“I do not know why Ko would have gone into the pond. He may have accidentally fallen into the pond. About three years ago, my dad also died in an area nearby, and a local resident was [previously] found dead after falling into the pond,” he said.
“Ko is a young man with a big body, but he frequently got sick and had to be in hospital. Ko had worked with me for seven years, and we had become close friends,” Mr Paisit added.