A Thai man who murdered a gay victim in the Isaan province of Surin and stole his gold accessories claimed a Cambodian man encouraged him to commit the crime.
The 15 year old Thai boy discovered the body of his transgender neighbour, 63 year old Pratheep Kongthawee, on June 4. Pratheep’s body was hidden under a red blanket near a sofa in his home and bore a fatal stab wound to the neck.
Pratheep’s family reported to officers from Sawai Police Station that he typically wore gold accessories worth over one million baht, most of which were missing. Only one gold necklace remained around his neck.
Police initially suspected the teenage boy and three other men who had either been in a relationship with Pratheep or had previously borrowed money from him. However, officers found no connection between these individuals and the case.
Further investigation revealed that Pratheep’s neighbour, 58 year old Saengchan Kingkanna, was a potential suspect. Saengchan was close to Pratheep and had borrowed money and gold necklaces from him on multiple occasions to fund his gambling.
Saengchan aroused suspicion after failing to attend Pratheep’s funeral and disappearing from the community on June 8. He also stopped reporting to work as a chauffeur at a local vocational college. His wife claimed she did not know his whereabouts.
Police reviewed CCTV footage from across the province and found that Saengchan boarded a coach bus from Surin to Mukdahan on June 13. Despite this lead, officers were initially unable to locate and apprehend him.
In response, police appealed to residents, offering a 30,000 baht reward for information leading to Saengchan’s arrest. The appeal proved successful.
Officers yesterday, June 19, received a tip-off from a local who reported seeing a man resembling Saengchan in Roi Et province. Police promptly arrived at the location and arrested the suspect, concluding a two-week investigation.
Saengchan confessed to fatally stabbing Pratheep but claimed he did not act alone. He alleged that a Cambodian man named Ball encouraged him to commit the murder.
According to Saengchan, he visited Pratheep’s home to borrow money and found Ball inside, holding a knife and a gun. Ball allegedly revealed his plan to kill Pratheep and invited Saengchan to participate in the crime. Saengchan expressed remorse and stated he wished to apologise to Pratheep’s family.
Police have not confirmed whether the Cambodian man exists. They stated only that Saengchan faces the death penalty or life imprisonment under Section 339 of the Criminal Law for committing theft with violence resulting in death.
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