Couple claim relatives plan their murder for 120 million baht payout
Alleged murder plot uncovered after husband survives car crash
A Thai couple accused their relatives of plotting to murder them to claim an insurance payout totalling over 120 million baht. A police officer was allegedly involved in the plan.
The couple, Tong and Au, sought help from the non-profit organisation Be One after Tong survived an alleged murder attempt in 2022. The couple later discovered over 50 life insurance policies taken out in their names, policies they never paid for or authorised. All the policies were purchased while they were in prison.
Au explained the details of the alleged murder plot during an interview on Channel 3’s news programme Hone Krasae. She believes the motive behind the scheme was a debt she owed to her cousins.
In 2016, Au invited her cousins, Watcharee, Pimphan, and Pimphan’s husband Thakorn, to join her money-lending business. However, when a borrower failed to repay their loan to Pimphan and Thakorn, the couple became enraged and filed a lawsuit against Au and Tong for fraud.
Although Au and Tong promised to repay the debt and pleaded for an extension, Pimphan and Thakorn refused. The case led to the couple being imprisoned: Tong was incarcerated from April 29, 2020 to January 4, 2021, while Au was jailed during the same period but released after Tong.
According to Au, Watcharee appeared more sympathetic than the others, even offering financial support and inviting her husband to work with her. Tong later joined Watcharee in her business and was introduced to her associate, a police officer known as Boy.
On September 18, 2022, Boy invited Tong to a restaurant to discuss a job opportunity. Although Watcharee encouraged Au to join them, she declined, saying she needed to care for their children.
Tong rode his motorcycle to the meeting and dined with Boy until 8pm. When Tong said he was heading home, Boy volunteered to follow him in his car, citing the poor lighting conditions.
Tong was involved in a severe crash on the day and sustained serious injuries. He was hospitalised for four days and required a month of home recovery. No CCTV footage was available at the scene, and the driver responsible has yet to be identified.
The couple, fearing for their lives and concerned for their children’s future, contacted an insurance company to purchase a policy, only to discover their names were already listed on more than 50 existing policies across various insurers. The total coverage amounted to over 72 million baht for Tong and 48 million baht for Au.
In Au’s case, the beneficiaries varied: some were her mother and children, while others listed a woman named Kamala, later identified as Watcharee’s business partner.
Additionally, the insurance agents responsible for selling the policies were allegedly Pimphan, Thakorn, and Pimphan’s sister.
Tong and Au believe that the three relatives conspired to kill them and collect the insurance money. They suspect that the failed motorcycle crash was a staged attempt on Tong’s life. He also suspected Boy as the motorist who hit him.
Chalida “Ton Or” Palamart, founder of Be One, stated that she would accompany the couple to file a formal complaint against Watcharee and would push for a thorough investigation to ensure all those involved are brought to justice.
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