Burmese man wanted for murder of Iranian-Thai couple in Pattaya
Police in Pattaya are searching for a Burmese man suspected of murdering his employees, an Iranian man and his Thai wife. Their bodies were discovered in a bedroom above their Iranian restaurant on July 16.
The victims, 63 year old Mojtaba Ghanbariazad and his wife Thanaporn Poonprakone, were found by a relative who had a dream about Thanaporn and was concerned because her daughter had been unable to contact her since July 11.
ThaiRath reported that Ghanbariazad was found lying half-naked on the floor next to the bed with a swollen penis and red sweatpants wrapped around his neck.
Thanaporn’s body was on the bed, covered with a red blanket, with her arms tied with a phone charger wire and her legs tied with a green robe. The bedroom showed signs of a struggle and a search for valuables.
The main suspect is the couple’s 21 year old Burmese employee, Min Lwin OO. The motive is believed to be delayed salary payment and physical assault by Ghanbariazad.
Security footage showed Min Lwin OO arriving at the restaurant around 8.19pm on July 11, before the couple arrived home around 11pm. He was seen again at 6.20am leaving with his 19 year old girlfriend, Ei, on the deceased’s motorcycle and carrying all their belongings.
Thanaporn’s friend, 59 year old Wan, told ThaiRath that Thanaporn previously complained about money going missing and suspected Min Lwin OO. Thanaporn was also unhappy that he brought his girlfriend to the premises without permission.
Wan believes Min Lwin OO killed the couple to steal valuables, possibly motivated by a gold necklace worth about 42,000 baht that Thanaporn’s daughter had recently given her.
Thanaporn’s 31 year old daughter, Nam, became concerned when she couldn’t reach her mother after July 11, prompting her to ask a relative to check on her.
Nam explained that her mother had voiced distrust towards Min Lwin OO due to missing money and was unhappy about his girlfriend being at the restaurant. Nam intended to travel from their family home in Buriram to Pattaya to investigate further.
Despite Thanaporn’s reservations about her Burmese employee, CCTV footage captured her and her Iranian husband enjoying a birthday party for a friend, where Min Lwin OO and his girlfriend were also present.
ORIGINAL STORY: Iranian man and Thai wife murdered in Pattaya restaurant
A relative’s dream led to the discovery of the murder of an Iranian man and his Thai wife at their restaurant in Pattaya. The bodies of Mojtaba Ghanbariazad, a 64 year old Iranian, and his Thai wife, Thanaporn Poonprakone, were found in their bedroom on the second floor of their Iranian restaurant today, July 16.
Ghanbariazad was lying half-naked in his bedroom. His penis was reportedly swollen. Thanaporn’s body was on the bed and was covered with a blanket. The details of wounds and bruises on her body were not included in the police report. A hammer was found on the floor near her body.
Thanaporn’s relative, Phan, revealed to Channel 7 that he dreamt about Thanaporn. In the dream, Thanaporn asked him for help saying she could not get out of her restaurant. He came to check on her at the place and found it was locked.
Unable to contact Thanaporn, Phan sought help from Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers to force entry into the restaurant leading to the discovery of their dead bodies.
Phan suspected that the couple’s Burmese employee, 21 year old Min, was the murderer. He anticipated that the conflict might be related to the late salary payment or physical punishment as the Iranian man usually beat Min for being slow at work.
Thanaporn’s friend, 27 year old Krittaporn, told Channel 7 that the couple engaged in a heated argument with the Burmese employer on July 11 before the Burmese man left the restaurant on the couple’s motorcycle. She did not suspect anything until her friend’s relative arrived and told her about his dream.
Channel 7 reported that the reporter team managed to obtain CCTV footage near the restaurant which showed that the Burmese suspect parked a motorcycle outside the restaurant at about 11.19pm on July 11. The media did not reveal further details displayed on the footage to the public.
Police are now questioning business operators and residents in the area and ensuring to bring the murderer to justice.
