Fugitive suspect arrested for killing boyfriend in Nonthaburi condo

Photo via ThaiRath, Channel 7, and Workpoint News

Police today arrested a fugitive suspected of killing his boyfriend at a condominium in Nonthaburi province before fleeing to the southern province of Chumphon.

Local police officers in Chumphon arrested the 27 year old Thai man, Phurinat, at a house in the Mueang district of the province at about 1pm today, May 31. He is the prime suspect in the murder of 54 year old Paisarn Thong-on, whose body was found with stab wounds in a Nonthaburi condo room on May 26.

During his escape, Phurinat concealed his identity by wearing a hoodie and face mask at all times. He also posed as a Hong Kong tourist, communicating in English to further disguise himself. His true identity was only confirmed after his arrest this afternoon.

After Paisarn’s death, Phurinat stayed at a luxury hotel in Bangkok for two days before travelling to Pattaya on May 27, where he narrowly evaded capture. He then continued his escape to Hua Hin by taxi yesterday, May 30.

Officers suspected Phurinat to travel to Surat Thani province and urged authorities in the area to closely monitor every visitor.

Hua Hin officers reviewed security camera footage from various locations, eventually spotting Phurinat checking into a hotel on Soi 11, Beach Road. Police continued to review more CCTV cameras until they found Phurinat travelled to Chumphon.

At around 1pm today, police arrested Phurinat at the house of an individual with whom he had a close relationship. The suspect will be transferred to the Investigation Division of Provincial Police Region 1 for questioning.

The Facebook page ดาวแปดแฉก (meaning “eight-angled star”) reported that Phurinat graduated from the faculty of law at a well-known university. He claimed to have known the deceased for about a year and stated that the motive for the murder was a conflict over an import business and an investment cost worth 5 million baht.

These details have not been confirmed by authorities, and more information is expected following the questioning.

 

UPDATE 2: Murder suspect poses as foreigner and flees to Hua Hin

A Thai man posing as a Hong Kong tourist fled from Pattaya to Hua Hin after allegedly murdering his boyfriend at a condominium in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok. The Thai authorities believe the suspect is heading towards Surat Thani.

The unidentified man is the prime suspect in the murder of a 54 year old Thai man named Paisaen Thong-on. He was seen exiting Paisarn’s car and entering the condo with him before Paisarn was found dead with multiple stab wounds on May 26.

The suspect wore a hoodie and face mask and used Paisarn’s ID card and fake ID cards for financial transactions to conceal his identity from the police.

He brought gold bars valued at 1 million baht with Paisarn’s credit cards and later sold Paisarn’s mobile phone at MBK shopping mall in Bangkok. He reportedly lied to the store staff that he had just undergone facial surgery, making his face different from the picture on Paisarn’s ID card.

The suspect was seen fleeing from Bangkok to Pattaya and later took a taxi from Pattaya to Hua Hin on May 28.

A 51 year old taxi driver, Paiwan, told Channel 3 yesterday that the suspect spoke in English, claiming to be a tourist from Hong Kong and offering him 4,000 baht for the trip to Hua Hin.

Paiwan, who only operated within Pattaya, passed the job on to a female taxi driver named Rat. Rat confirmed that she and the suspect arrived at Hua Hin Night Market around 6pm. The suspect spoke in English and did not exhibit any suspicious behaviour.

Hua Hin Police Station Superintendent Kampanart Nawichai reported to Matichon that the suspect had likely left Hua Hin for Surat Thani. The authorities in Surat Thani have been alerted to monitor his entry.

However, there is no record of the suspect buying a ticket to Surat Thani at the Hua Hin Bus Terminal. It is suspected that he used a fake ID to book his trip, making it difficult to track him down.

 

UPDATE: Murder suspect spends victim’s valuables and flees to Pattaya

A Thai man suspected of killing his boyfriend in a condominium in the central province of Nonthaburi hid himself in Pattaya and narrowly escaped arrest yesterday, May 29.

The murder of the 54 year old man, Paisarn Thong-on, came to light on May 26 after residents reported an unpleasant smell coming from his room, leading to the discovery of his body with over 10 stab wounds across his body.

The main suspect is the victim’s boyfriend, who was seen on CCTV cameras with Paisarn before his death. The identity of the suspected murderer remains undisclosed.

The alleged murderer reportedly absconded from the condominium with Paisarn’s valuables and stayed at a five-star hotel in Bangkok for two nights. Subsequently, he acquired gold bars exceeding a value of 1 million baht on May 25 and 26.

The suspect concealed his identity by always wearing a black hoodie and a face mask at all times. After selling Paisarn’s mobile phones at MBK shopping mall, he changed into a brown hoodie and travelled to Pattaya. Police tracked him to a hotel on Soi Pattaya 11, but he managed to escape before they could arrest him.

Authorities suspect the perpetrator planned to flee Thailand for Cambodia, prompting a call for vigilant monitoring by border checkpoints in Chon Buri, Trat, and Sa Kaeo in Isaan.

A mobile phone shop at MBK reported that a man in a dark blue shirt was seen following the suspect, believed to be the victim’s spirit due to the shirt’s colour. Paisarn’s brother stated that he will not hold a cremation ceremony until the murderer is apprehended and believes his brother’s spirit is following the suspect with ill intent.

 

ORIGINAL STORY: Thai man wanted for killing his boyfriend at condo in Nonthaburi

Police are searching for a Thai man who allegedly killed his boyfriend by repeatedly stabbing him in a condo room near the Ministry of Health in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok.

A 42 year old Thai woman, residing on the fifth floor of the condominium, detected a strong, unpleasant odour emanating from a room on the sixth floor above hers. Several days before the odour, she had also overheard a heated argument between two men. Suspecting something amiss, she reported the incident to the police yesterday, on May 26.

Officers from Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station and rescuers from the Ruam Katanyu Foundation investigated the mentioned room. The room was locked from the inside, prompting police to hire a locksmith to force entry.

A rescuer, Chartchai Klaewkruea, told MGR Online that bloodstains were everywhere in the room. Under multiple pillows and blankets, he and his team discovered the dead body of a Thai man, later identified as 54 year old Pisarn Thong-on. He bore more than 10 stab wounds across his body.

Officers suspected that Paisarn was murdered about four or five days before his discovery. Paisarn’s neighbour, who lived in the third room next to him, supported this timeline, saying he had heard Paisarn and another man arguing late at night.

The neighbour added that he heard a man screaming for help and decided to report the matter to the condominium staff but did not follow up until the police came to investigate the room.

Police reviewed security cameras at the condominium to identify the murderer and spotted a suspicious man, believed to be Paisarn’s boyfriend.

On May 20, at around 10.23pm, Paisarn was seen driving his car, a grey Toyota Yaris, into the condo car park. He exited the vehicle with his boyfriend and went up to his room on the sixth floor.

Paisarn’s boyfriend was then seen leaving Paisarn’s room and searching for something inside Paisarn’s car. The boyfriend returned to the condo room before leaving the premises at 4am.

Officers faced difficulties in identifying the suspect, as he wore a black hoodie and a face mask to conceal his identity. Police are now investigating Paisarn’s car to find fingerprints that may lead to the identification of his boyfriend.

Crime NewsSouth Thailand NewsThailand News

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.

Related Articles