Thai boy arrested for killing close friend over alleged insult

A 15 year old Thai boy arrested for the murder of his close friend in the southern province of Songkhla, claimed that the deceased insulted him with vulgar language.

A resident in the Khlong Hoi Khong district of Songkhla discovered the body of 15 year old Konnawan “Fang” O-thong in a puddle in the forest at around 9.45am yesterday, September 29. The boy was reportedly missing from home for five days before his body was found.

ThaiRath reported that Fang was wearing his school uniform. His neck showed signs of strangulation. His motorcycle, a black Honda Wave, and other belongings were missing.

The local who found the body told the media that there was heavy rain the night before the discovery, so he went into the forest to search for mushrooms. He caught an unpleasant smell and followed it, eventually finding the body.

Officers from Khlong Hoi Khong Police Station investigated the case and suspected Fang’s classmates. As a result, officers summoned each of Fang’s friends for questioning. Fang’s 15 year old close friend, known only as A, became the main suspect as he was the last person Fang gave a ride to on his motorcycle before his disappearance.

Initially, A denied any involvement in his friend’s death. He claimed that Fang dropped him off at home and then went to meet other friends.

Girlfriend helps hide crime

However, A eventually confessed to the murder, saying he killed his friend and dragged the body into the puddle. He left Fang’s motorcycle at his girlfriend’s home and sold Fang’s mobile phone at a shop in the province.

A claimed that Fang insulted him with vulgarities, which angered him. They got into a heated argument and a physical fight, during which Fang lost consciousness. At first, A left Fang unconscious at the scene and rode away on Fang’s motorcycle.

However, in a fit of anger, he returned and strangled Fang to death with his trouser cord. He shared the story with his girlfriend and even took her to the scene to show her Fang’s body.

A’s mother told ThaiRath that she could not believe her son killed his close friend. She said her son was good at studying and had never shown any violent behaviour before. She also insisted that her son did not use drugs.

The mother said A brought friends home many times before, and she had never noticed any problems between A and others. She expressed her desire to apologise to Fang’s family for what her son had done.