Thai man surrenders after stabbing his wife’s lover to death
A Thai man surrendered to the police after he stabbed the lover of his wife to death outside a convenience store in the central province of Ratchaburi.
Officers from the Ban Pong Police Station were called to investigate the death of the 67 year old Thai man named Wanchai outside a convenience store in the Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi province at around 10.30pm on January 1. Police found Wanchai lying dead at the scene with three stab wounds to his chest.
Police questioned witnesses at the scene and found out that the motive for the murder was jealousy. The murderer was identified as 66 year old Prasert, who evaded an arrest with his lover, a 54 year old woman named Phontiya. The deceased was reported to be the lover of Prasert’s wife, 52 year old Rattana.
Witnesses reported that the two women, Phontiya and Rattana, were involved in a physical altercation at the entrance of the shop. The two men tried to help their lovers and Prasert, who had a knife in his hand, stabbed Wanchai who was trying to protect Rattana.
The murderer, Prasert, voluntarily turned himself in to the police on January 2. According to Prasert, he and Rattana first encountered Wanchai four years ago during their attendance at a Thai folk dance event. Over time, Wanchai became a frequent visitor to Prasert’s home and eventually engaged in a secret affair with Rattana.
Prasert revealed that upon discovering their relationship, he requested a divorce. However, Rattana declined to agree to it. Despite Prasert’s efforts, Rattana continued her open relationship with Wanchai. In response, Prasert chose to initiate a connection with Phontiya, whom he had met at the folk dance event.
Protect lover and die
On the day of the incident, they attended a folk dance event where Rattana and Phontiya encountered each other. A disagreement ensued between Rattana and Phontiya during the event. Consequently, Prasert opted to escort Phontiya home but made a pit stop at a convenience store to buy food.
According to Prasert’s account, Rattana persisted in the argument and entered the shop with Wanchai, physically assaulting Phontiya. Prasert intervened, attempting to cease Rattana’s actions by kicking her on the head. In response, Wanchai hurried to restrain Prasert, leading to an unfortunate event where Prasert ended up stabbing him.
The altercation led to legal charges against Prasert, Rattana, and Phontiya. Prasert faces two charges including:
Section 288 of the Criminal Law: intentional murder. The penalty will be life imprisonment or imprisonment for 15 to 20 years.
Section 371 of the Criminal Law: carrying a knife in a public place without a reasonable excuse. The penalty will be a fine of up to 1,000 baht.
Rattana and Phontiya face a penalty of imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both for violating Section 295 of the Criminal Law: physically or mentally assaulting another person.
