Arrest warrant issued against Burmese man for murder of former diplomat in Thailand

Photo via Facebook/ บิ๊กเกรียน

Royal Thai Police submitted documents and evidence to the Thailand Courts to issue a warrant for the arrest of a Burmese man for the suspected murder of a former Thai diplomat at a house in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district. The suspect reportedly escaped arrest outside Bangkok but police believe he is still in Thailand.

Following the death of 63 year old Wichit Chitwimarn, Deputy Commissioner of Metropolitan Police Division 1 Noppason Poonsawat told the media today that officers discovered Wichit’s mobile phone and tablet missing. The loss of other valuables such as watches, gold necklaces and rings is being investigated.

Police initially summoned two teenagers, aged 15 and 17 years old, suspected of being the killers for questioning. The 17 year old man was also Wichit’s adopted son. The two denied involvement and the police had no evidence to charge them.

Officers then conducted further investigations into Wichit’s financial transactions and found that over 100,000 baht had been withdrawn from his bank account a few hours after the murder.

The money was withdrawn from an ATM at a shopping mall in Bangkok. Police sought cooperation from the bank and later discovered that a 19 year old Burmese man, Sai Myat Moe, withdrew the money. The Burmese man is reportedly a carpenter who had worked on a previous house renovation.

After taking the cash, Sai Myat Moe took a taxi to Chatuchak Bus Terminal to take a coach to the northern province of Chaing Rai. He is trying to escape arrest but officers believe he is still in Thailand.

The police indicated their intention to examine any evidence discovered at the scene for potential footprints or DNA, regardless of whether it corresponds to Sai Myat Moe. Furthermore, the officers provided assurance that they would swiftly apprehend the suspect and bring them to justice.

 

UPDATE: 2 Thai teenagers suspected of murdering former diplomat

Royal Thai Police detained two Thai teenagers following the murder of a former Thai diplomat. The teenagers, aged 15 and 17, were the last people to visit the former diplomat’s home before his dead body was discovered.

The dead body of 63 year old Wichit Chitwimarn was discovered in a three-storey luxury house on Soi Vibhawadee-Rangsit 20 in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district yesterday morning, October 8. Wichit was a former ambassador to the Royal Thai Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Wichit was found dead in a bathroom on the second floor of the house with three stab wounds to his chest. His body was covered with three paper boxes. It was reported that he had been dead a week before his discovery.

Two bloody kitchen knives were found in the kitchen on the first floor, together with bloody footprints from the first floor to the stairs and the bathroom. The footprints did not belong to Wichit while every floor inside the dead Thai man’s home had been ransacked.

According to ThaiRath, Wichit moved into his new house only a month before the murder. The community has strict security measures because most of the residents are celebrities, high-ranking officials and wealthy people.

Sutthisan Police Station officers checked the security camera near the house and spotted two suspicious youths, one a 17 year old male and the other a 15 year old male. The two teenagers were the last two people seen entering Wichit’s home.

According to an investigating officer, the 17 year old is Wichit’s adopted son. The teenager was the biological son of a contractor who was renovating the house. Wichit was close to the contractor and had known the teenager since he was a little boy. Wichit loved him and decided to take care of him as his own son.

Officers pointed out that there was no clear evidence linking the two teenagers with each other but they have been detained for questioning along with the contractor.

 

ORIGINAL STORY: Former diplomat found dead in Bangkok luxury home under mysterious circumstances

The body of a former diplomat was discovered in the bathroom of a luxurious house, locked from the outside and covered with cardboard boxes today. The house, located in the affluent neighbourhood of Soi Vibhavadi Rangsit 20, Jom Phon, Chatuchak, Bangkok, was inspected by Deputy Superintendent Puthipong Hongthong and his team following the report of a death.

The three-storey luxury house was found locked from the outside, with lights on in a bedroom. Neighbours had reported a foul smell emanating from the house for the previous two to three days.

The dead man, named as 63 year old Wichit, was found on the second floor, in a bathroom covered with three to four brown cardboard boxes. The individual had been deceased for several days. The deceased was identified as a former diplomat, reported Sanook.

Neighbours relayed that the house had been recently renovated and completed about a month ago. The deceased lived alone in the house. Earlier in the morning, a contractor had been scheduled to carry out some additional work on the house. However, despite repeated attempts to ring the doorbell for access, there was no response. The contractor also noticed an unpleasant odour coming from the house, which led to the notification of the police.

Sutthisan Station officers, along with the evidence inspection officers, are currently investigating the case. No one has yet given any details to the media, and the media have been unable to access the house for pictures as it is a private estate.

A preliminary investigation by the police is underway. Detailed examination of the scene, CCTV footage, and witness testimonies are being conducted to determine the cause of death.

In July, a shocking discovery occurred yesterday evening as police were summoned to a grisly scene in the Bang Khun Thian district of Bangkok. In Phraya Ratchamontri Canal, near the end of Soi Tha Kham 8, Samae Dam sub-district, the lifeless body of a woman was found floating face down, seemingly deserted for the past four days. To read more click HERE

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Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.

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