Mother of the daycare massacre killer says sorry

Thailand’s Department of Health released a video of the mother of the daycare centre massacre killer issuing a heartfelt apology for the tragedy while more details emerge about the lack of urgency by the police to the killing spree.

The mother of the former police officer who murdered 37 people, including 24 children, in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeast Thailand, delivered her message via video to say she is sorry for her son’s actions.

The woman, dressed in a black blouse, delivered a solemn apology, adding she did not attend funerals of the victims cremated on Tuesday because she was “mentally exhausted” by the massacre last Thursday, October 6.

“I would like to apologise to everyone for my son’s actions. I am truly and deeply sorry. I’ll pay a visit and offer my apologies to every family when I am less distressed. I am very sorry.”

The video was recorded by the Mental Health Department’s director general, Dr Amporn Benjaponpitak, who said the killer’s mother wanted to reach out and show some compassion to the families of the victims.

“Panya’s mother wanted to send her apologies and express her deep regret at not being able to attend the royally-sponsored cremations.”

A number of media outlets reported that the killer’s mother received death threats and was forced to leave her home in tambon Uthai Sawan by people blaming her for the massacre but she denied this was the case.

She made it known that she is staying with another son in Udon Thani to process the actions of her killer son.

Pictures courtesy of Reuters

New information has cast light on the killer’s movements on the day of the massacre from neighbours and Thai police procrastination in answering the calls of those in danger.

Neighbour’s made known that Panya Khamrap was firing his 9mm pistol in the backyard of his home in Tha Uthai village several days in the lead-up to the murder.

Despite being fired by police over a year earlier the 34 year old still had influence in the community and many in the neighbourhood were afraid of him as his behaviour became more erratic since the dismissal.

A 29 year old mother of two, Phuwan Polyeam, said…

“How were we going to report him to the police? He was the police.”

Another neighbour made known that Panya regularly locked his girlfriend and her son inside their home when he went out.

Phuwan’s mother in law, Suwan Tonsomsen, reported that the former police officer was warned about his unruly behaviour by the village chief only days before the killing spree. Panya argued with the village chief who admitted he was afraid.

The deputy chief of a neighbouring village offered a window into the unhinged thinking of the mass murderer. Panya told him that he had praised the 2020 massacre of 29 people in another province at the hands of a soldier, saying that he would have killed more.

Before dawn on the day of the massacre, neighbours heard Panya arguing with his girlfriend at home. She told him she was leaving him.

He left home to go to court on a drug charge after the row but when he returned home his girlfriend and her son were gone.

It was then he went on his killing spree. After the slaughter at the daycare centre he returned to his village.

Neighbours frantically called the police for help on several occasions but no one came. Staff at the daycare centre also called the police but they were told they were busy elsewhere.

Phuwan said she was hiding in her home, hand clamped over the mouth of one of her sons to keep him quiet. She was sending frantic messages to her mother in law, Suwan.

Suwan’s phone records show evidence of several calls to the police, according to Reuters.

“They said there were not enough police. They said they had to wait for a commando unit. It took them a while.”

Suwan said Panya tried to burn her car. After he failed, he went back to his house around 3pm, and set fire to his truck, before shooting his girlfriend, her son and himself.

Thailand’s deputy police chief, General Surachate Hakparn, acknowledged the police response had been slow and officers arrived too late to stop the killing.

“If there had been an arrest, then this might not have happened.”

General Surachate added the violence was a result of “exploded emotion,” his dismissal from the police and legal, money and family troubles.