A Thai man stabbed a female grocery store owner 31 times in the northern province of Phitsanulok yesterday, claiming he had been in a relationship with the victim and had only just discovered she was married.
Officers from Wang Thong Police Station were alerted to the incident at around 9am, yesterday, June 10. It occurred at a house that also operated as a grocery store in the Wang Thong district. The victim was the store owner, 44 year old Ratchada, also known as Mod.
A medical team from Wang Thong Hospital confirmed that Ratchada succumbed to her injuries at the scene. She had sustained at least 30 stab wounds to her back and another to her chest.
A neighbour, Juti, who witnessed the attack, told Channel 3 that the victim was about to leave for the fresh market when the assailant approached her. She attempted to flee and seek help from Juti, collapsing to the ground in front of him.
The attacker followed and repeatedly stabbed her in full view of the witness. Juti said he shouted at the suspect, begging him to stop, but his pleas were ignored.
When he tried to intervene, the attacker turned the knife on him and attempted to stab him. Juti expressed regret that he was unable to save Ratchada.
Ratchada’s husband and son later arrived at the scene. Her husband reportedly fainted upon seeing her lifeless body. He told the media he had spoken with his wife on the phone that same morning shortly before the fatal attack.
The murderer was identified as 50 year old Wuttipong Nimman, a singer at a well-known restaurant in the province. Police arrested him at the scene, along with the 30-centimetre knife used in the attack.
Wuttipong claimed he had been in a relationship with Ratchada for over three years but had only just discovered that she had been married to her husband for over a decade.
He added that he had recently been diagnosed with a serious congenital disease, reportedly HIV, according to some news outlets. Feeling desperate, he decided to carry out the fatal attack.
In addition to running the grocery shop, Ratchada was also a singer in a local restaurant’s house band. Her colleague, Kunasorn, said they had worked together for over 20 years, since the band’s inception.
Kunasorn stated that the murderer was not part of the band and that he had never met him before. He described Ratchada as a good-hearted person who had always supported her fellow band members, saying she was like family to him.
Ratchada’s 18 year old son, Ton, said the suspect had visited their home several times to borrow money from his mother. However, he had never noticed any romantic involvement between them. He believed the suspect killed his mother because she refused to lend him more money.
Wuttipong was initially charged under Section 288 of the Thai Criminal Code: intentional murder. The offence carries a potential penalty of death, life imprisonment, or 15 to 20 years’ imprisonment. Police stated that further investigations and charges may follow.
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