Man allegedly strangles ex-wife and dumps her body on roadside in northeast Thailand

A Thai man allegedly strangled his ex-wife to death before dumping her body on the side of the road in Chaiyaphum province in northeast Thailand last night. Police have issued a warrant for his arrest.

The body of 36 year old Jib was found on the roadside in Kaeng Khro District early this morning. Police say it was clear she had been strangled.

Jib’s 68 year old mother Sampao told police that Jib and her husband Top previously had problems and Jib wanted to file for a divorce.

However, Top didn’t want to divorce so the case had to go to court. Yesterday, the court was set to make a final ruling on the divorce, but Top never turned up, said Sampao.

Yesterday, Jib told her mother Sampao that she was going to meet her friends at the PTT gas station at the Phu Wiang Intersection in Khon Kaen province, northeast Thailand, near where Jib works at the market. It was only after her daughter’s body was discovered that she knew she went to meet Top, not her friends.

CCTV footage from the PTT station yesterday afternoon clearly captures Top’s silver Mitsubishi Pajero with Bangkok registration 5กส4479. Witnesses say they saw the pair get into the car together. The witnesses were the last people to see Jib alive.

After picking up Jib from the PTT station, Top strangled Jib to death before dumping her body on the side of the road in Chaiyphum, the next province along.

Sampao said she could not contact Jib last night. When Sampao heard the news that a corpse of a woman was found in Chaiyaphum, she feared the worst, and travelled to Kaeng Khro Police Station. The corpse was confirmed to be Sampao’s daughter Jib.

Sampao said Jib never had any problems with anyone, only Top. Jib had previously told her mother she was definitely going ahead with the divorce because she couldn’t stand the fact that Top never earned any money and depended on her.

When Top wouldn’t sign the divorce papers, Sampao helped her daughter to file a case against him with the court, which they were set to approve yesterday, said Sampao.

Sampao said she never expected Top to murder her daughter, but the last people to see her alive saw her get into his car, which is backed up by CCTV evidence.

Merchants in the market told police that they saw Top yesterday and asked him what he was doing. He told them he had come to pick up Jib and take her to Lop Buri province in central Thailand.

Pol. Lt. Cl. Koson Nimpila from Kaeng Khro Police Station said police had issued an arrest warrant for 37 year old Anukul “Top” Poolchantuk under suspicion of “intentional murder.” He may also be charged with concealing or hiding a corpse, added Pol. Lt. Cl. Koson.