NAKHON SAWAN: The body of a man whose car plunged into the Chao Phraya River on Friday night was recovered by police in Krok Phra district yesterday.
The body was initially spotted by residents in Ban Wang Cha, or Moo 8 Village, who called authorities at 8am yesterday.
Officers from Muang police station, along with rescue workers and medics were sent to the scene, where they found the body lodged on the riverbank.
In a bag found near the body were documents which identified the man as Teerapat Teerawongpaiboon, 27, the son of farm equipment dealers in Suphan Buri, police said, adding they came to confirm the man's identity.
Forensic examiners took his fingerprints and found no signs of physical abuse on his body.
Teerapat's body was found 15 kilometres downstream from where his SUV plunged into the river.
Police said Teerapat was celebrating at his girlfriend's birthday party in Muang district, after which they decided to head to her house in Manorom district in Chai Nat in their own vehicles.
While making a U-turn under a bridge across the Chao Phraya in tambon Klang Daed in Muang district, Teerapat's SUV crashed through a barrier and plunged into the fast flowing river, police said.
A search operation was launched with divers and several boats deployed which continued over the weekend, but Teerapat was not found.
As the search was about to resume yesterday, his body was discovered on the river bank. Police said they were investigating.