A tragic event unfolded in the heart of Bangkok, where a powerful earthquake caused the collapse of the State Audit Office's building on March 28. Among the survivors is 30-year-old Phiraphon Mowiang, an electrician from Khon Kaen, who narrowly escaped death.
"My supervisors are a kind-hearted married couple from my village," he said. They employed him to work in Bangkok and he was among five people on the team.
"On that afternoon, my employer told me to go down and get a water container from the ground floor and bring it up to the 27th floor where we work," he recalled.
It was an ordinary task in the middle of his workday. He went down with the supervisor's daughter, Araya Kaenmuang, and just as they arrived on the ground floor, he felt the earth shake violently.
"I heard the distinct crack of concrete," Mr Phiraphon said, his voice still trembling from the memory.
"Before I could react, the entire building began to shake. The walls cracked, and the noise of screams filled the air. It felt like the world was falling apart around me."
Amid the swirling dust and debris, Mr Phiraphon and Ms Araya managed to make a run for safety.
They dashed through the chaos, running toward a fence where they could escape. The air was thick with dust, and it was hard to breathe. Yet despite the terror surrounding him, Mr Phiraphon made it out alive.
The collapse claimed not only the building but also 15 lives of people working in it, while dozens of other people are still missing.
His supervisors are Damrong Phonglunhit and Ornuma Kaenmuang.
Ornuma's body was found in the rubble on Tuesday and the body taken back to Chum Phae for a funeral on Friday.
Her husband, Damrong, is still missing, as is their son-in-law, Jetsada "Fas" Sonchai, 21, who was Araya's partner and also part of their team on the 27th floor.
Meanwhile, back in Khon Kaen, Phiraphon's parents anxiously awaited news of their son's fate. His father, Mr Seng, and mother, Ms Phawana, have only the one child, and their concern for his safety was immeasurable.
They had heard about the earthquake and the collapse of the building. They attempted to reach Phiraphon, but for three agonising days, there was no word.
Every night, Ms Phawana prayed. She made a vow to the sacred spirits: if her son survived, she would have him ordained as a monk for seven days as an offering of gratitude. "I prayed every night, my hands folded in hope," she said. "And after three days, the phone call came. My son was alive."
When he called home, his mother felt an overwhelming sense of relief. She believed her prayers had been answered and her family had been blessed.
A sombre atmosphere hung over Pho That temple in Chum Phae district where Ornuma's funeral was held on Friday.
Mr Phiraphon, determined to honour her memory, chose to be ordained as a monk and dedicate his prayers to her soul. It was also a way of fulfilling his mother's vow.
The other survivor he fled with that day, 22-year-old Araya Kaenmuang, the dead woman's daughter, said she worked alongside her parents in the building's electrical system on the 27th floor every day.
"My mother asked me to pick up some equipment on the ground floor. When I reached the ground, I felt the building sway. I thought it was a normal occurrence, but then I heard two loud cracks. The building was trembling. I ran out of the building and tried to call my mum."
She was unable to reach her parents by phone as the building collapsed. She held on to hope, praying that her loved ones were still alive beneath the rubble.
Despite the uncertainty, Ms Araya is still hoping against all odds that her father and her boyfriend survive.
The pain of losing loved ones was not only felt by the two families of Ms Araya and Mr Phiraphon.
In a nearby village, Chai Laopeng, 70, waited for any news of his son, Kwanchai, who was also working in the building when it came down.
Mr Chai held on to faith, believing in miracles and in possibility his son would emerge from the wreckage alive.
"My son is a hardworking man," he said. "He's the breadwinner of our family, and I won't give up hope. I believe that if the gods will it, he will come back to us."
For all the families involved, the emotional toll was immense. They had been planning for reunions, weddings, and other family activities during the Songkran holiday next week, only to have their hopes dashed in a single moment.
Yet despite the devastation, there was a collective belief in miracles -- a hope that their loved ones might still be alive, trapped but not yet lost.
Holding onto hope: Chai Laopeng, 70, is still waiting for the return of his son.
