Thai man arrested in murder of missing Nakhon Pathom Bolt driver

Police arrested an ex-con in connection with the murder of a female Bolt driver whose body was found on the side of Huay Plu Road in the central province of Nakhon Pathom.

A Thai woman took to social media to search for her girlfriend, 47 year old Thitirat “Kati” Chatput, who worked as a Bolt driver and lost contact with her on September 11 after heading to Nakhon Chai Si district of Nakhon Pathom from Bangkok.

Kati’s girlfriend revealed to netizens that she filed a complaint with the police but received no updates on the case. She later stated that she gave up searching for Kati as her family seemed unconcerned about her disappearance.

The girlfriend initially believed that Kati ended their relationship by disappearing. Many netizens offered her encouragement, assuming it was another case of a broken heart shared on social media.

Tragically, this was not the case. Kati did not vanish intentionally but was murdered. Police discovered her body on the side of Huay Plu Road at 11pm on September 19. She was found lying face down, her body already decomposing.

Kati was wearing a denim shirt and shorts, and her neck was wrapped with a white phone charger wire. Officers found her ID card in a wallet, confirming her identity. Her car, a black MG hatchback, was missing.

Murderer arrested

Police reviewed security camera footage and identified the suspect as 35 year old Narongsak “Max” Saephu. Kati was seen picking up Max in the Rama II neighbourhood of Bangkok and driving towards Nakhon Pathom. Officers from Nakhon Chai Si Police Station arrested Max at his home in Nakhon Pathom.

Initially, Max denied the accusation but eventually confessed to killing Kati. He stated that he booked the ride to Nakhon Pathom as shown in the CCTV footage. He wanted to steal the car and decided to commit the crime when he realised that the Bolt driver was a woman.

Max claimed that he pretended to feel dizzy and asked Kati to stop mid-journey so he could vomit outside the car. Kati stopped as requested and got out to check on him while he pretended to be ill. Max then seized the opportunity when Kati approached him, strangling her and later using the phone charger to wrap around her neck until she died.

Max said he drove the car to his girlfriend’s home in Nakhon Sawan province before selling it to a police officer in Phuket. Police seized the car from the officer, who, along with his family, denied any involvement in the crime.

Max also claimed that he was not the only person involved. He implicated his girlfriend and a friend in the crime.

ThaiRath reported that Max was also wanted for a recent theft case in the Min Buri district of Bangkok. He had previously been arrested in 2010 for kidnapping and repeatedly raping a 13 year old victim for a week.

KhaoSod reported that Max is currently in detention at Min Buri Court in Bangkok and will be prosecuted for the theft case first. The punishment for the murder will be determined once the investigation is complete.

According to media reports, Max was seen hitting his head against the jail bars after police refused to call a doctor for him. He claimed to have a stomach ache and felt dizzy but no one responded to his request. He also insisted that he should not be the only one arrested and that his friend and girlfriend should also be detained.

ORIGINAL STORY: Phuket police intensify search for MG linked to robbery-murder

Phuket police are intensifying their investigation into an MG car linked to a robbery-murder in Nakhon Chai Si after GPS data revealed its presence in Phuket.

On September 19, Police Captain Ratchanat Ratsadaproni from Nakhon Chai Si Police Station was alerted to the discovery of 47 year old Thitirat Chatput’s body. Thitirat, who lived in the Lat Phrao district of Bangkok, was found dead in a water channel along the Nakhon Chai Si-Huai Phlu road in Nakhon Pathom province.

Thitirat, a Grab driver, had been reported missing by relatives since September 10. Police initially suspected the motive to be car theft and murder, as Thitirat’s black MG car with the license plate 6 กฉ 7998 Bangkok was also missing.

Police have now identified the missing vehicle via CCTV footage. The car was spotted between the Thalang District Office and Thalang Police Station on Thep Kasattri Road, heading into the city, reported KhaoSod.

The GPS signal was recorded at 1.12pm. The Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Phuket Provincial Police Chief, and the Phuket City Police Chief issued directives to all local police stations to search for the car and report immediately if it is found.

In related news, police officers in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan are searching for two Burmese men who allegedly killed a fellow countryman, his pregnant wife, and their seven year old daughter for 50,000 baht in cash.

A Thai employer revealed how he hired a 40 year old Burmese man named Saw to work on his rubber plantation. However, Saw was absent from work at the back end of last week. The employer tried to call him several times but he did not respond so, he went to his home on the morning of August 31.

Tragically, the employer discovered the bodies of Saw’s pregnant wife, 38 year old Kinwailai, and their seven year old daughter. Both had suffered severe head injuries, and it is believed they died three days before they were found.