Thai teenager murders his stepmother over money dispute

A 15 year old Thai teenager in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon knifed his stepmother to death after a dispute over money on July 2.

A 55 year old Thai man, Supoj, filed a complaint with Charoensin Police Station after discovering his 42 year old neighbour, Supranee Thamthong, lying dead in a pool of blood inside her home in the Charoensin district of Sakon Nakhon.

Supranee reportedly bore severe cut wounds to the back of her neck, body, and arm. The significant loss of blood later led to her death.

Supoj explained that he heard Supranee’s dogs barking hard at about 7pm but ignored them because the dogs usually bark at strangers. However, the barking was followed by the scream of Supranee shouting that her 15 year old stepson, Nattaphon “Dew” Sikaew, attacked her.

Supoj went to check on her but was unable to help her in time. He saw Dew flee from the crime scene on his motorcycle. The knife used in the crime was left at the scene.

Dew’s grandmother, 65 year old Kaysorn, suspected that a money dispute was the motive of the murder. Kaysorn explained that Dew’s parents had two children, Dew and his older sister before they divorced. Dew’s sister and his father worked aboard leaving him to live with Kaysorn.

Online gambling

Before Dew’s father travelled abroad, he married Supranee, who was a single mother with a son, and they had a daughter together. The father promised to send Dew 2,000 baht every month by transferring the money to Supranee. If Dew wanted the money he had to ask his stepmother.

According to Kaysorn, Dew was careful with spending but wanted to spend money on food and snacks just like other children. However, Supranee always complained about him being wasteful and refused to give him money.

Supranee’s 19 year old son, Smith, told Channel 8 that Dew threatened to kill his mother before but she did not believe he would carry out the threat. Smith claimed that Dew wanted the money because he was addicted to online gambling.

Channel 8 reported that Dew hid in a hut in the middle of a paddy field for a night before turning himself into the police.

Dew was taken to the scene for a reenactment before being detained at Juvenile Court. He was punished for intentional murder, but the details of his punishment were not clarified.