The incident occurred in a roadside gully near Banana Beach, along the coastal road from Surin to Nai Thon (Route 4018), explained Lt Phatsawat Wongwassana of the Cherng Talay Police.
Officers were called to the scene at 3:30pm, Lt Phatsawat noted.
Police together with rescue workers from Sakoo Tambon Administration Office (OrBorTor) arrived to find the body of Eakkapong Lonsiew, 37, originally from Sakon Nakhon, beside the felled trunk of the tree.
He had suffered fatal head trauma and was dead when rescue workers arrived, Lt Phatsawat said.
Mr Eakkapong and a friend had been hired to cut down coconut trees in the grove, which was some 15 metres below the level of the road, Lt Phatsawat explained.
The friend told police that he was responsible for chopping down the trees while Eakkapong pulled on a rope to guide which direction the tree would fall.
While pulling down the tree down that ended his life, Eakkapong was slowly walking backwards and slipped into a small ditch, which prevented him from getting out of the way of the falling tree, the friend said
Mr Eakkapong’s wife and family have accepted the death as accidental, Lt Phatsawat added.
However, Lt Phatsawat also noted that Mr Eakkapong’s body had been taken to Thalang Hospital for further examination while police continued their investigation into the death.