Thai actress Nida Patcharaveerapong, 37, more commonly known as Tangmo, first went missing last Thursday (Feb 24), after falling off a speedboat that was cruising down Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river. Her body was found on Saturday, about 1km away from where she reportedly fell.

The official cause of her death is by drowning, though police are still investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. The case has gained widespread attention in Thailand, most recently for the witnesses’ statements that are inconsistent and contradictory.

There were five other individuals on board the boat with Tangmo, including her manager, Itsarin “Gatick” Jutasuksawat. According to information released by the police, the driver of the speedboat did not have a valid license.

A video, believed to be of Tangmo enjoying her time on the speedboat just before the accident, has been posted online by an unknown source.

What is known so far

Tangmo boarded the speedboat at around 9pm that night, and is believed to have fallen into the river at 10:40pm, according to reports on the Bangkok Post. She was not wearing a life jacket when she fell in.

Forensic examiners discovered a deep cut on the actress’ leg. However, they could not determine if it was caused by the boat’s propeller when Tangmo fell into the river. They have also been unable to conclude thus far if the actress had fallen into the river, or if there was foul play involved.

Thai police are currently conducting reenactments of the accident, bringing each of the five witnesses individually onboard a similar boat to re-enact what happened on that fateful night. They will also be conducting polygraph tests on the witnesses as their statements have been inconsistent.

According to the testimonies of those who were onboard the boat, the group had brought wine on the boat and although they did drink, no one was drunk while on board.

At one point in the night, Tangmo needed to use the toilet, but the toilet on the boat was not functional. She headed to the back of the boat to relieve herself. Unfortunately, she lost her footing and fell into the river.

The search and rescue team searching for Tangmo's body

However, this is where things get complicated as details provided by eyewitnesses were inconsistent.

One eyewitness claimed that she saw Tangmo fall into the river, and immediately raised the alarm to ask for help. However, no one could hear her until it was too late, as the music on board was very loud.

The driver of the boat reportedly said that Tangmo “might have fallen in ’cos the floor was wet” and the actress was wearing high heels.

Another passenger claimed that Tangmo was looking at her mobile phone when she fell into the river and had tried to grab onto her manager’s leg when she lost her balance.

Tangmo (left) and Kratick (right)

Meanwhile, Tangmo’s manager, Gatick, is said to have claimed that the actress did not wear a life jacket as she wanted to take nice pictures of herself. Gatick also claimed that Tangmo could not swim.

But Tangmo’s mother has since refuted Gatick’s claims, revealing that the actress has always been a good swimmer.

According to media reports, Tangmo’s mum believes that foul play was involved in the death of her daughter. She told media that the other passengers on the boat “could not be reached for hours” after Tangmo first fell into the river.

Media reports say that Tangmo’s personal assistant, who was not on the boat, believes that there may be more to this than meets the eye. She also revealed that Tangmo led an honest life, and alleges that it was Gatick who was up to no good.

Social media sleuthing

The case is now receiving widespread attention in Thailand, with netizens speculating feverishly about the circumstances behind Tangmo’s death.

Some netizens have claimed that a number of Tangmo’s Instagram posts showing the actress swimming have been deleted. Others have taken to posting unverified reports and “leaks” online.

One particularly popular conspiracy theory claims that Tangmo fell into the river as the boat lurched when an inexperienced individual attempted to steer the boat, and that Tangmo had grabbed onto someone’s hand when she fell. However, this person behind this theory claims that the other party let go of Tangmo’s hand and let her fall into the river, as they were afraid of falling in as well.

Netizens have also taken to flooding a recent post Tangmo made with Gatick on Instagram, accusing Gatick of causing the actress’ death.

Photos: PBE Media, Nida Patcharaveerapong/Instagram