Thai soldiers rescue Chinese man trapped in well near Myanmar border

Thai soldiers rescued a Chinese man trapped in a well near the Thai-Myanmar border for three days.

While patrolling under orders to enforce strict measures along the Thai-Myanmar border to prevent illegal entry and drug smuggling on Sunday, at 8.30pm, soldiers from the 433rd Company, Task Force Ratchamanu, Mae Sot district, Tak province, heard cries from the forest near Ban Wang Takhian, Village No 7, Tha Sai Luat subdistrict.

Upon following the sound, they arrived at a well and heard faint, exhausted cries. Using a flashlight to inspect the 10-metre-deep well, the soldiers discovered a man, a Chinese national wearing only shorts, calling for help in Chinese. It became clear he had fallen into the well.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that the man had been trapped in the well for three days. He had been crying out for help without anyone passing by to hear him until the Thai soldiers responded to his calls. 

Through an interpreter, the man expressed profound gratitude to the Thai soldiers and a local rescue team for saving him, saying he would not have survived without their help, as he was exhausted and sleep-deprived.

Officials plan to question the man further to determine how he fell into the well or if he was hiding intentionally, as the border area frequently sees illegal crossings by people from Myanmar and other countries. 

For now, the rescued man has been transferred to Mae Sot Hospital, where he is in stable condition.