Thai actress, 37, found dead in river, speedboat owner and driver charged

Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong was found dead in the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok on Saturday (Feb 26). She was 37. The owner and driver of the speedboat she had fallen from have been formally charged with negligence and operating an unauthorised vessel, said the Bangkok Post.

The television actress, who was more commonly referred to by her nickname “Tangmo”, reportedly fell into the river during a leisure trip with five other companions, including her manager, on Thursday at around 10.40pm. Her body was discovered two days later by her brother, a kilometre away from where she had fallen, which was near the Rama VII Bridge in Nonthaburi province, northwest of Bangkok.

The speedboat’s owner and driver were formally charged on Saturday night in the province.

After being questioned by the police, the owner, Tanupat Lerttaweewit, said actress had gone to the back the boat to relieve herself. She had been with a female companion, who had said she was looking at her phone while Patcharaveerapong held on to her legs before falling into river.

The actress’ manager also added that Patcharaveerapong declined to wear a life jacket because she wanted to pose for photos.

The model-turned-actress was a familiar face in the Thai entertainment industry, having appeared in various movies and TV shows including her most recent series, 2019’s The Fallen Leaf.