Police suspect murder-suicide after family of 5 found dead in Chon Buri
Financial struggles believed to drive father to murder wife, 2 children, and elderly mother
A family of five died under mysterious circumstances at a house in Chon Buri province. Police suspect a murder-suicide linked to the family’s financial troubles.
The village chief, Adul Rueangraksa, called officers from Nong Kham Police Station to investigate a house in Si Racha district on November 11, after he and residents forced their way into the property and discovered the body of the homeowner, 62 year old Somjin.
Somjin was found hanged in the hallway of the house. He and his family reportedly operated a restaurant selling kanom jeen (soft rice noodles with curry) at local markets.
During the police inspection, four more bodies were discovered in separate rooms of the house. They were identified as 82 year old Nam, 60 year old Thasawan, 21 year old Sukunya, and one year old Sirikanya.
Thasawan was Somjin’s wife, while Sukunya and Sirikanya were their daughters. Nam was the grandmother of Sukunya and Sirikanya.
According to Adul, nearby residents reported not seeing anyone leave the house for several days. They later noticed a strong odour coming from inside and suspected something was wrong. Locals then asked Adul to check on the family.
The bodies showed no visible injuries, and police found no signs of a struggle inside the home.
However, a further autopsy revealed that four of the victims sustained fatal head wounds, believed to have been caused by a hard object. Only Somjin did not have such injuries. Officers suspect that Somjin had murdered each family member with a stone mortar pestle before hanging himself.
Relatives told police the family had been struggling financially, which may have driven Somjin to commit the murder-suicide.
The bodies have been sent to the Police Forensic Institute for detailed autopsies to confirm the exact cause of death. Police are also investigating whether the victims were drugged before being fatally attacked.
If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.
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