Thai man brutally murders ex-girlfriend in restaurant after failing to win her back

A Thai man brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend in the middle of a restaurant in Trat province, eastern Thailand, this morning after failing to win her back. Two more people were injured in the attack.

The victim jumped out of her second floor window and ran into the khao man gai (chicken and rice) restaurant where she worked as a waitress in an attempt to flee from her violent ex-boyfriend.

He chased his ex-girlfriend inside, grabbed a chopping knife from the kitchen and repeatedly hacked into her head until she was dead.

At 6am, officers from Mueang Trat Police Station were informed of a murder at a restaurant in the Nong Samet subdistrict. Police found 20 year old Chonthikan [surnname withheld] lying dead in a pool of blood in the restaurant.

A waiter at the restaurant, 26 year old Srisamphan [surnname withheld] was cut in the head and a female employee, 48 year old Wanthanee, was slashed in the neck. Both were rushed to Trat Hospital.

A member of staff, Kanphak, told the police that she was working in the restaurant when at about 5.45am, she heard a loud bang. Then, Chantikorn ran into the restaurant.

The murderer, James, chased Chantikorn into the restaurant, pulled her hair, and beat her, said Kanphak. James ran into the kitchen and picked up a chopping knife.

Knife-yielding James slashed the employee, Wanthanee, in the neck when she tried to stop him from hurting Chonthikan.

James slashed another employee, Srisamphan, in the head before repeatedly slashing his ex-girlfriend’s head with the chopping knife until she dropped dead. Then, James ran out of the restaurant.

The owner of the restaurant, 63 year old Boonchan, said she was asleep when she was awoken by a loud noise. When she came downstairs, Chonthikan was dead and her son, Srisamphan, was injured.

Boonchan said that the deceased was a relative from Udon Thani who moved to Trat to work in the restaurant.

Boonchan said that James and Chantikorn used to be in a relationship but James was often physically abusive so Chantikorn broke up with him.

James often showed up at the restaurant trying to win back Chantikorn, said Boonchan. Boonchan said that Chantikorn had come to her asking for advice about what to do. Boonchan said she told Chantikorn to hold on a little longer because soon they would be moving restaurants.

Officers checked CCTV and saw that at 5.45am, James broke into the building. Then, CCTV captures Chantikorn jumping out of her second-floor window and into the restaurant.

After the murder, CCTV captured James running toward Wat Yothanimit. Then, James kicked off his shoes on the bridge and jumped into the Bang Phra Canal.

Police swiftly hopped into a boat and chased James, who floated down the river, and found him hiding in the forest along the canal about 40 metres away from the Bang Phra Bridge.

Police arrested James at 8.15am but because he was injured he was taken for treatment at Trat Hospital before being subject to interrogation.

Two weeks ago, a Thai man shot his ex-girlfriend in the head when she refused to take him back in Nakhon Pathom province, central Thailand.