The deceased was identified as Seung Paekratok, 66. His wife, Tawee, found the skeleton while clearing the site to build another bathroom. The tank, one metre wide and 1.5 metres deep, had long been hidden by weeds, reports the Bangkok Post.
Mrs Tawee said she was not suspicious about the cause of death, believing her husband might have accidentally fallen in while drunk. He often checked the rainwater gutter and used wastewater from the tank for compost.
Clothing found with the bones, including his yellow shirt, convinced her the remains were his.
She recalled searching tirelessly, following every reported sighting and filing a police report. Once, she said, she even dreamed of seeing him outside their home, which neighbours took as a sign he had already died.
The remains went unnoticed for years because the area was overgrown and smells were assumed to come from compost.
Police will conduct DNA testing with the couple’s daughter to confirm the identity. Mrs Tawee, however, is certain that the bones belong to her husband and plans to hold religious rites once confirmed.