Chalong policeman’s wife arrested for Phichai murder
CHALONG: Col Chalit Kaewyarat, Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, today confirmed that the wife of a Chalong police officer has been arrested for allegedly hiring four men to kill 44-year-old construction contractor Phichai Wanlayapetch, who was gunned down after dropping his child off at a Chalong day care center on February 26.
Col Chalit declined to name the officer, but confirmed that the officer is still on active duty.
“Yes, the person arrested is the wife of a police officer stationed at Chalong Police Station, but I cannot tell you his name because he is not involved in the murder [investigation].
“He has therefore not been reprimanded and he is still an active officer here,” Col Chalit said.
Chalong Police Station Duty Inspector Lt Col Chokchai Sutthimak told the Gazette that the woman charged is Yupphadee Thongnin, 45.
“[We believe] the motive for the killing is that K. Phichai took an illegal loan from K. Yupphadee and probably didn’t pay her back.”
The four men involved in the shooting were arrested within three hours after the killing, but refused to identify the person who had hired them to kill K. Phichai, Col Chokchai said.
A relative of K. Phichai later informed the police of the illegal loan from K. Yupphadee, he added.
“K. Yupphadee denies she had anything to do with the killing, but we have charged her with hiring the suspects to kill K. Phichai. Her case is now with the Phuket Provincial Court,” said Col Chokchai.
Click here for the Gazette‘s report of the shooting of K. Phichai and his murderers’ subsequent arrest.
