TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to an individual's death.
31-year-old Thai model Kaikan Kaennakam's body was found in a morgue in Bahrain more than a year after her disappearance. Her family has asked for an investigation of the events leading up to her passing. After finding that her career prospects were declining Kaikan moved from modeling to working in a restaurant in the Middle East.
Who was Kaikan Kaennakam?
Kaikan often updated her loved ones on social media, sharing that she had moved in with her Bahraini boyfriend and was in a relationship with him. Kaikan abruptly stopped using social media in April 2023, which worried her family members because they couldn't get in touch with her by phone.
Kaikan was nowhere to be found, even after they made every attempt to track her down, including contacting the Thai embassy in January of the next year and getting help from the Thai community in Bahrain.
Sadly, on April 18, Kaikan's family received heartbreaking news from the Thai embassy in Bahrain that an unidentified Southeast Asian woman's body had been found at the Salmaniya hospital complex morgue all year long. One important clue that helped identify the missing Thai worker was a tattoo on the woman's calf. Alcohol poisoning-related acute lung and cardiac failure was listed as the official cause of death.
Kaikan's sister Suthida Ngernthaworn has doubts about the circumstances surrounding her sister's passing. She claims that pictures of Kaikan's physique show signs of bruises, which worries her. Suthida further discloses that, before her disappearance, Kaikan posted videos and pictures to social media showing her body covered in wounds and marks, which heightened suspicions.
The family has approached Paveena Hongsakul, the creator of a Thai nonprofit that supports mothers and children, for assistance. Paveena has taken action to seek support from the director of the Protection of Thai Nationals Abroad Division and the director general of the Department of Consular Affairs.
The woman's family is currently occupied with attempting to return her mortal remains to Thailand, which can be a costly undertaking in the absence of travel insurance.