Thai soldier kills wife and takes his own life on pickup

A Thai soldier in the Nonthaburi province near Bangkok killed his wife and took his own life in a pickup in front of his partner’s mother.

The murder-suicide outside a house in Soi Samakkhi 58/20 in Nonthaburi province was reported to Rattanathibate Police Station yesterday, January 9. Officers rushed to investigate the scene and discovered two dead bodies in the pickup parked in front of the house.

The deaths were identified as a 43 year old female lieutenant colonel named Parita and a 57 year old male squadron leader named Suradate. Both of them were in military uniforms with gunshot wounds to their heads. Parita’s lifeless body was in the driver’s seat while Suradate’s body was in the passenger seat to the left of Parita.

Parita’s mother witnessed the tragic incident and reported it to the police. The mother revealed that her daughter called and told her that she was going home with her husband, Suradate. The mother heard them arguing during the phone call and was worried, so she decided to wait for her daughter outside the house.

According to Parita’s mother, her daughter was driving into the house’s garage when the first gunshot echoed throughout the neighbourhood, followed by another shot.

The pickup then crashed into the wall of the house, sending the mother into shock. She dashed to check the vehicle and found them unconscious, so immediately called the police.

Jealous husband

Both Parita’s mother and father believed that the suicide was a result of jealousy. The mother told police that Suradate divorced his wife to be with her daughter. They had been together for four years.

They argued often because of the age difference and jealousy. Suradate was worried that Parita would meet a new man because she was many years younger than him and beautiful.

The father explained that he lived separately from his wife and daughter but thought this would happen to his daughter one day because Suradate was very jealous. He did not want them to be together but understood that his daughter loved Suradate. He would often tell his wife he feared his daughter’s relationship would end tragically.

A similar murder-suicide case was reported in December last year when a Thai soldier in the northern province of Phitsanuloak killed his ex-wife and committed suicide leaving their two children orphaned. The motive behind this tragic act was also reported to be jealousy.

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.