Thong Lor turmoil: Thai man physically beat wife to death at construction site in Bangkok

A Thai man turned himself in to police last night after he physically beat his wife to death in the dormitory of a construction site in the Thong Lor neighbourhood of Bangkok.

Thong Lor Police Station officers were notified of the death of 37 year old woman named Irada Winyayong at 7pm yesterday. Upon investigation at the scene, Irada was found lying dead on her bed with bruises on her face. Her husband, 34 year old Jetsadakorn Thongchai, presented himself at the scene and allegedly admitted to beating his wife to death.

Jetsadakorn revealed that he and Irada were parents to two children but that the children did not live with them. Both were employed as safety officers for the construction company and lived in the dormitory, a necessity dictated by the demands of the construction site’s projects.

The ghastly incident unfolded after a night of drinking on September 9, when an intense argument, fuelled by Jetsadakorn’s jealousy, escalated into a violent physical altercation between the couple where Jetsadakorn beat his wife. They eventually retired to bed, only for Irada to awaken the next morning with pain in her ribcage. Tragically, rather than seeking medical assistance, the pair opted to go shopping at a local market after which they continued drinking heavily before succumbing to inebriation.

Jetsadakorn recounted waking up that evening and attempting to rouse his wife, only to discover her lifeless body. Rather than fleeing, he chose to wait for the police at the scene, allowing a friend from the neighbouring dormitory to report the tragic incident.

Jetsadakorn now faces a grave charge of causing the death of another person through physical assault. According to Section 290 of the Criminal Law, the penalty for this heinous crime ranges from a minimum of three years to a maximum of 15 years in imprisonment.

The case sheds light on a disturbing trend of Domestic violence driven by jealousy.

A 2022 report by the Operation Center for Preventing Domestic Violence revealed that 2,374 individuals fell victim to domestic violence within the family, with drug use, alcohol consumption, and jealousy being prominent factors behind these acts of violence.

Furthermore, an assistant professor from Chulalongkorn University reported that Thailand ranked among the top ten countries with the highest reported cases of domestic violence in 2016.

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