Bitter pill: Gay man accused of poisoning friend for insurance cash

A gay Thai man in the central province of Lopburi has been accused of poisoning a female friend with cyanide and staging a motorcycle accident to claim an insurance payout of 1.5 million baht.

The victim, a 25 year old Thai woman, Chonlada “Tong” Kongdam, was admitted to King Narai Hospital in the central province of Lopburi at midnight on February 2 earlier this year after she crashed her motorcycle into a roadside forest on Nikhom-Ban Dong Noi Road.

Tong suffered only minor injuries, including a wound near her right eye and scratches on her face. However, her condition unexpectedly worsened, leading to her death in the early hours of February 3.

The medical team suspected foul play, as the injuries from the accident were not serious. An autopsy revealed cyanide in Tong’s blood system and stomach.

Channel 8 investigated the case and discovered that Tong’s motorcycle accident occurred a day after she signed an insurance document. Tong had a young son but was divorced. However, the beneficiary of the insurance was not Tong’s son or other family members but her gay friend, Por.

In the insurance document, Por was identified as Tong’s boyfriend. According to Channel 8, Por appeared to be Tong’s best friend and was present at the accident scene, the hospital, and Tong’s funeral.

Channel 8 also found a conversation between Tong and another friend named Fern, revealing that Por was her friend, not her boyfriend. Por wanted to have a child but was unable to, due to being a gay man, so Por planned to adopt Tong’s son. Tong also told Fern that Por took excellent care of her and her son.

Nevertheless, the close relationship between Tong and Por made Por the main suspect in the woman’s death.

Family opposes investigation

A temple staff member and a makeup artist who worked on Tong’s funeral told Channel 8 that Por and another woman, who appeared boyish, asked them to work quickly to prepare Tong for the coffin.

Typically, Thai funerals last at least three days before cremation but Tong’s was completed in just one day.

The makeup artist also revealed that Tong’s body had darkened, despite her having had fair skin while alive. The artist suspected poisoning, as Tong’s body displayed similar signs to those reported in previous poisoning news cases. This suspicion was later confirmed.

Channel 8 reported that Tong’s family members refused to be interviewed and insisted they did not suspect foul play in her death. They wanted to drop the investigation and wanted to know who shared the details of Tong’s death with the media.

The media team explained that they attempted to contact Por for an interview but were unsuccessful. Por’s neighbours told the media that he rarely returned home after Tong’s death.

Even though Tong’s family did not want to pursue further investigation into her death, the well-known Thai lawyer, Nitikorn “James” Kaewto, urged the police to continue their investigation, as the suspicious death of a resident is considered a criminal offence in Thailand.