Search for escaped murder convict intensifies as getaway vehicle found in southern Thailand
A white Mitsubishi pickup truck with the licence plate 8กจ 9049 from Phatthalung was found abandoned near a port close to Malaysia on Saturday, October 21. The vehicle was believed to have been used by a murder convict, Chaowalit Thongduang, to make his escape.
The 37 year old Chaowalit has been charged with attempted murders related to an attack on police officers. Authorities suspect he may have already fled the country. The police are intensifying their hunt as of today.
Chaowalit, also known as Sia Paeng, escaped from Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital where he was admitted on Friday, October 20.
On Sunday, October 22, when he was due to be released, Chaowalit used the opportune moment when two prison officers left their posts guarding the patient room to make his escape at around 1am. He was swiftly picked up by a waiting vehicle.
Initial findings suggest that the individuals who picked up the prison escapee were 35 year old Chalermphong and 41 year old Jakree, with the latter waiting in the vehicle. An urgent manhunt for the escapees continues.
Sia Paeng serves a 20 and a half years sentence at Phatthalung Prison which began in January last year and has been confined at Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison since early August this year, reported Khaosod.
In a development report on October 23, police from Region 8 and 9 discovered the pickup truck used for the escape parked near a port in Satun province, which borders Malaysia. It is suspected that Sia Paeng, along with his accomplices, may have fled the country.
A 100,000 baht bounty is offered by the Nakhon Si Thammarat Prison commander for the recapture of Chaowalit. Chaowalit has been on police records since 2016 for a series of criminal charges including intrusions, attempted murders, and unlawful possession of explosives and weapons.
