Police inspector transferred to inactive post following son’s murder involvement in Sa Kaeo

A deputy inspector at Aranyaprathet Police Station has been temporarily transferred to an inactive post at Sa Kaeo police headquarters.

Sa Kaeo Police Chief Police Major General Omsin Boonyanuson confirmed the move which aimed to prevent any interference in the murder investigation involving the officer’s teenage son and four other suspects.

Speaking to reporters, Omsin assured the public of a fair and transparent investigation despite the officer’s familial connection to one of the suspects. The case unfolded when Buaphan Thansu was found dead in a pond on January 12, initially leading investigators to her husband, Panya.

Omsin clarified that, upon reviewing security camera footage, police discovered five suspects beating Buaphan and dumping her in the pond. Contrary to the husband’s confession, CCTV evidence surfaced, raising doubts about the initial narrative.

Amidst social media claims that the police coerced Panya into a false confession, Omsin pledged to establish a committee to investigate these allegations. He emphasised that CCTV evidence directly implicates the police officer’s son, making it impossible to manipulate the investigation, reported The Nation.

Provincial Police Bureau 2 Commissioner Police Lieutenant General Somprasong Yenthuam has taken swift action, forming a panel led by Pol. Gen. Mana Inpithak. This panel, inclusive of the Sa Kaeo police chief, is tasked with expediting the investigation with complete transparency.

The murder of the Thai woman in the Isaan province of Sa Kaeo sparked a debate about the lenient punishment handed out to teenage murderers and raised concerns about the transparency of the Thai police.

Buaphan’s case sparked a debate on whether young offenders should receive the same punishment as adults because the details of how the teenagers killed Buaphan were very disturbing.

A leaked voice recording of the teenage killers talking to other friends was shared on social media. In the voice recording, the teenage killer, believed to be the police officer’s son, pushed Buaphan into the water