Bribe & ride: Gay Thai man’s 1 million baht cover-up hits dead end

Police arrested a gay Thai man suspected of fatally poisoning his close friend, for offering a 1 million baht bribe to the police to conclude that his friend died in a motorcycle accident.

The death of a 25 year old Thai woman, Chonlada “Tong” Kongdam, caught the attention of Thai netizens and news agencies last week, even though she died on February 2. Tong was admitted to hospital after a motorcycle accident. She suffered only a mild injury but died in hospital.

A medical team later found cyanide in her blood and stomach leading to suspicions of murder. The main suspect in the case became Tong’s close friend, Patiparn, also known as Beer. Beer was also the beneficiary of Tong’s insurance.

Beer took care of everything on behalf of her family. He held a funeral for Tong, took care of her young son, and contacted both the police and the insurance company after Tong’s death.

Officers at Mueang Lopburi Police Station revealed to the media that Beer initially offered them 200,000 baht to conclude that Tong died from the accident, not poisoning. After the death story went viral, Beer contacted the officers again and increased the bribe to 1 million baht.

The police did not accept the bribe and reported the matter to their superiors, leading to Beer’s arrest in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan yesterday, August 7. His arrest was solely for bribery, not Tong’s death, as further investigation will be conducted on the matter.

ThaiRath reported that Beer refused to speak to the media. He was seen making a phone call to his family and told them not to bail him out. The media reported that his intention was unclear, whether he genuinely did not want bail or was being sarcastic.

Nation TV reported that Beer lost consciousness while being held at the police station and was taken to hospital. The doctor revealed that Beer’s brain was swollen but the cause of the symptom has not yet been identified.

Beer was initially charged under Section 144 of the Criminal Law: giving, offering, or agreeing to give property or benefits to an official to induce them to act or refrain from acting inconsistent with their duties. The penalty is imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both.

ORIGINAL STORY: 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.