Thai man confesses to killing Laotian lover in fear of affair revelations

A Thai man confessed to killing his Laotian lover in a fit of rage and dumping her body near a cassava farm in the central province of Uthai Thani after she attempted to reveal their affair to his wife.

Locals in the Lansak district of Uthai Thani discovered the body of the unidentified woman with red hair by the roadside near the cassava farm on Sunday, October 20. Marks on her neck indicated she was strangled to death. Her legs and arms were bound with red ropes.

Some residents in the area reported seeing a white van near the farm, which was later found parked at a resort nearby. The van driver was seen travelling with a red-haired woman resembling the deceased. The driver checked out of the resort on October 21.

Officers from Lansak Police Station tracked the van and arrested the driver, 52 year old Sangwian Rodchan, at his rented room in Bangkok on the same day. He was taken to Samran Rat Police Station for questioning before being transferred to Uthai Thani for further legal proceedings.

Sangwian refused to speak to the media and avoided eye contact with reporters, keeping his gaze on the ground as he walked.

According to the police, Sangwian confessed that the deceased was his Laotian lover, with whom he had a secret relationship for about two months. She was working in the northern province of Nakhon Phanom while he was working in Bangkok.

Fear of disclosure

Sangwian explained that he and his wife travelled separately from Bangkok to his home province of Uthai Thani in different cars. He arrived on October 17 while his wife would arrive on October 19. His lover wanted to accompany him but he refused, fearing his wife would discover the affair.

However, the Laotian woman followed Sangwian to Uthai Thani by coach. As a result, Sangwian booked a resort for them to stay in together and made her promise to leave by October 19 when his wife was due to arrive.

Sangwian claimed that his lover broke her promise and attempted to confront his wife. A heated argument ensued, during which Sangwian killed her in a fit of rage.

Sangwian was charged with murder. Under Section 288 of the Criminal Law, he faces the possibility of the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a prison sentence of 15 to 20 years.

DailyNews reported that Sangwian’s wife only learned of the affair on the day of his arrest. The wife issued an apology to the family of the deceased and condemned her husband for his actions.

UPDATE: Police seek 2 suspects for dumping woman’s body near cassava farm

Police are searching for two suspects, one woman and one man, who dumped the corpse of an unidentified woman near a cassava farm in the central province of Uthai Thani yesterday.

Officers from Lansak Police Station were alerted to the discovery of the dead body at around 3pm yesterday, October 20. The body was found on the side of the road near the cassava farm in the Lansak district of Uthai Thani province. The deceased was a woman aged between 30 and 40, with red hair.

Amarin TV reported that the woman had no personal documents with her. She was strangled to death, evidenced by marks on her neck. Her head was covered with a black shirt, and her legs and arms were tied with red ropes. Her body was concealed under a pink blanket.

Residents informed police that they noticed a brand-new white van driving past their homes and entering the road alongside the cassava farm. The suspicious man and woman exited the vehicle and walked into the cassava field.

A local man, 65 year old Daeng, told Matichon and the police that he saw the van parked at the location where the body was later found but did not pay any attention to the vehicle. He did not expect such an incident to happen in the community.

Daeng also suggested that the deceased was not a resident of the area and was likely murdered elsewhere before being dumped at the scene.

The police are reviewing security cameras in an attempt to identify the two suspects. They located the suspicious van, which was parked at a nearby resort. The suspects had just checked out of the hotel this morning, October 21.

Police urged any families with missing relatives to contact officers or Park Mueang Hospital in the province to assist in identifying the woman. The body is currently undergoing an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.