Parents of Thai chef found dead in Cambodia suspect foul play
Sister recalls suspicious phone call before contact with brother suddenly stopped
The parents of a Thai chef who was found dead on a street in Poipet, Cambodia, on Tuesday, October 7, suspect he may have been fatally assaulted and are calling for an investigation into his death. Meanwhile, netizens questioned his alleged involvement in a call centre scam after his name was reportedly linked to a mule account.
The death of the 24 year old Marthacharn “Meen” Yorsaeng gained public attention after a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Thailand, who resides in Cambodia, discovered him lying on the street.
According to the IMF member, Meen had been suffering from a congenital illness that caused severe stomach pain. He was reportedly unable to seek treatment in time due to a lack of identification documents and money.
Meen’s family travelled from the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat to Sa Kaeo province in Isaan yesterday, October 8, to collect his body for funeral rites at a temple in their home province.
The family said Meen had worked as a chef on a cruise ship under a nine-month contract. He frequently sent photos and videos to his family via Facebook Messenger, but they lost contact with him for over a year before learning of his death in Cambodia.
Meen’s parents expressed disbelief that he had died from natural causes, saying they had been contacted by the IMF member on the morning of October 7, and were told Meen was unwell but not critically ill.
However, they were informed later that evening that he had died. They are now awaiting the results of an autopsy and suspect their son may have been assaulted, though they have no indication of who might be involved.
Meen’s older sister told ThaiRath that her brother had previously contacted her via Instagram, asking for money to return to Thailand. During the call, she heard a woman’s voice in the background who appeared to be manipulating Meen into asking for money from the family.
The sister said Meen asked her to transfer money through a random QR code she did not recognise. She was about to make the transfer when the call was abruptly cut off, and she was unable to contact him again.
The family also claimed that Meen had been earning a good income and had savings of more than 300,000 baht, but both his money and personal documents had mysteriously disappeared.
As the story drew public attention, Thai netizens claimed that after searching his background, they found a post from a call centre scam victim stating that Meen’s name appeared on a mule account.
However, Meen’s parents firmly denied the allegation, insisting their son would never have been involved in illegal activities. They believe he may have been deceived by a criminal gang and possibly fled from abuse before dying on the street.
In addition to investigating the cause of Meen’s death, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly coordinating with the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Cambodia to look into claims that a local hospital refused to provide him medical treatment, as alleged by the IMF member.
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