Myanmar couple surrenders over murder of Iranian restaurateur

A Myanmar couple suspected of the brutal murder of an Iranian restaurateur and his Thai wife has surrendered to police in Nakhon Pathom, expressing their wish to be repatriated.

Police Major General Thawatkiat Jindakhuansanong, commander of Chon Buri police, revealed that police were in the process of seeking arrest warrants for 23 year old Kyaw Myint Oo and 19 year old Ei December. The suspects allegedly targeted the couple for their valuables, and police are currently investigating the stolen items.

The suspects entered Thailand through Tak using border passes.

The Iranian man, 64 year old Mojtaba Ghanbariazad and his 49 year old Thai wife, Thanaporn Poonprakhon, were found dead in their commercial building on Soi Day-Night in South Pattaya. The discovery occurred on Tuesday, July 18, in a second-floor bedroom, with the Banoo Iranian Restaurant situated on the ground floor.

The Iranian man’s body was discovered naked from the waist down, with police believing he was strangled using a pair of trousers. The woman was found dead, naked, and bound with plastic rope and a charger wire. A hammer, suspected to have been used in the murder, was located in the bedroom.

Police investigations revealed that the Burmese couple left the restaurant on the victims’ motorcycle on July 11 following an argument. They later abandoned the motorcycle and took a taxi to Bangkok before travelling to Nakhon Pathom.

The couple surrendered to Nakhon Pathom police for illegal immigration and expressed their desire to return to Myanmar. They were fined by the police and sent to Mae Sot district in Tak province, which borders Myanmar.

Police believe both suspects likely crossed the border, as Thai officials have requested assistance from their Myanmar counterparts to apprehend them.

The 29 year old daughter of the deceased Thai woman informed police that her mother had allowed the Myanmar employee and his wife to stay on the upper floor of the building. The Iranian man had reportedly reprimanded the employee over several incidents involving missing money, reported Bangkok Post.

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.