Former Thailand national team assistant coach Thanakrit “Coach Rak” Chimpalee has died after trying to save a crane operator who was electrocuted while moving Thanakrit’s flooded car in Samut Prakan early on September 27.
Thanakrit, aged 40, previously served on the national team’s coaching staff under former head coach Kiatisuk “Zico” Senamuang. He was also a registered football referee.
Kiatisuk has publicly expressed his grief over the death of his former colleague, as Thai football mourns the loss of Coach Rak.
The Zico Foundation also paid tribute to Thanakrit, who volunteered with the organisation. In a Facebook post accompanied by his photographs, the foundation thanked him for his dedication and the memories shared over the years, expressed its condolences and offered support to his family.
The accident occurred in Bang Phli Yai, where several days of heavy rain had left floodwater more than 1.2 metres deep.
Thanakrit had hired a crane truck to lift his submerged sedan and move it to higher ground. While the car was being lifted, the crane’s boom struck an overhead power line, electrocuting the operator, 31 year old Sittipop Meesamrit.
According to Thanakrit’s wife, her husband was standing nearby when the operator collapsed into the floodwater. He rushed to help but was also electrocuted.
Neighbours pulled Thanakrit from the water, but he died at the scene. Emergency workers performed CPR on Sittipop before taking him to a hospital, where he later died.
Funeral prayers for Thanakrit are scheduled to take place at Wat Sri Iam in Bang Na from September 27 to 29, followed by cremation on September 30.
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