Police arrest savage suspect after 17 years on the run

A man known for his ferocity, who had been on the police’s most-wanted list, was arrested yesterday after 17 years on the run from a homicide case in Satun province. The suspect, previously involved in a nasty public brawl, was detained at his residence in the province’s Lang Suan district.

Today, Police Colonel Montri Theskan ordered Police Lieutenant Colonel Phongoanot Chua-kaew and his team of Region 6 police officers to arrest 38 year old Thawatchai, known as Om. Thawatchai was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Songkhla Provincial Court on January 16, 2006, for cooperation in a premeditated murder.

The case dates back seven years when Om, along with his brother Jakree or Ek, was involved in an incident where they brutally attacked 23 years old Aphisan Ruengsuk with a Spartan sword. The shocking incident occurred in broad daylight on a public street in Singhanakhon district, Songkhla province, near a Provincial Electric Authority office.

The motive was reportedly a past dispute between the two sides. Unfortunately, the brutal attack left Aphisan so severely battered that he succumbed to his injuries, reported KhaoSod.

The Investigating Officer gathered witnesses and evidence to seek court approval for warrants so police could arrest the three culprits. The crime and the suspects’ ability to evade law enforcement for many years led the police to put Om on the nationwide police’s most-wanted list of 2023 at number 184.

Years of investigative work ultimately paid off when authorities discovered that Om was hiding in Satun province. The 17-year-long manhunt finally came to an end when police successfully apprehended and arrested him.

During the interrogation, Om confessed to his involvement in the crime. Subsequently, he was escorted to Singhanakhon Police Station for further legal proceedings.

In a similar story last year, police arrested a man on suspicion of a murder which took place nearly 15 years ago in Yala province, in the Deep South of Thailand. Police found the suspect on the side of the road in Betong district and arrested him on a warrant issued by Chiang Rai Provincial Court back in 2007.