Thai woman murdered on street outside restaurant in Germany

Local police officers are hunting for a suspect who murdered a 61 year old Thai restaurant owner on Kantstrasse Road in the city of Berlin in Germany.

German police officers reported on Friday, August 18, that they discovered the dead body of a Thai woman, 61 year old Siliya Saiwongpanya on a footpath near Fuggerstrasse Road in the Schoeneberg neighbourhood of Berlin.

According to a German media report, Siliya suffered a severe neck wound, which caused her death. Her blood-stained handbag was found on the floor. Nearby the body officers discovered a broken glass bottle which they believe was used to murder Siliya.

Based on initial observations, law enforcement officials speculate that the motivation behind the murder might be rooted in personal conflict as none of Siliya’s possessions appear to have been stolen. Local media reported that the suspect quickly fled the scene and now remains at large.

Siliya was reportedly a resident of the central province of Sukhothai before moving to Europe 20 years ago with her German husband. Siliya ran a Thai restaurant called Thai-Art which is famous for Thai-style noodles. She was well known among the Thai community in Germany and always supported the Thai people in the country.

One Thai person revealed on a Facebook page of a Thai man named German House Husband (พ่อบ้านเยอรมัน) saying…

“She (Siliya) is a good person. She is lovely and friendly. Everybody loves her, and a lot of Thai people here respected her.”

As her family mourns this tragic loss, they have announced that Siliya’s funeral will be held at the Buddhavihara Temple in Berlin, which spans from August 19 to August 21. The details of her cremation remain pending as her body undergoes an autopsy, and authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

Physical assaults and fatal attacks against Thai people in European countries are relatively rare. While reports of such incidents are more common in the United States, particularly in areas like San Francisco where a lot of Thais live.

An 85 year old Thai man, Vicha Ratanapakdee, was attacked in the Anza Vista neighbourhood of San Franciso in 2021. The African American suspect, Autoine Watson, ran across the street and shoved Vicha to the ground leading to Vicha’s death. The suspect was arrested, but he did not admit to the murder.

During the same year, a 23 year old Thai female student, Bew Jirajariyawetch, was violently attacked while she was waiting for a train at a subway station in the 34th Street-Herald Square station. The attacker, an African American man named Kevin Douglas was later arrested and sentenced to five-year jail time.