Emotions run high as arrested fugitive faces family

SAMUT PRAKAN: More information about the crimes of arrested fugitive Kriengkrai “Krieng” Saelee came to light Saturday morning when police in Samut Prakan told a press conference the suspect was wanted for the shooting murder of a 14-year-old girl in the waning hours of 2006.

Krieng was arrested about 10:30 pm on March 27 while selling clothes at a stall at the Ko Kaew outdoor market on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd in Patong (click here for our initial report).

Maj Pakpum Hoyai of Samut Prakan Muang District Police identified Krieng’s victim as Ketsaraporn Chuenban, a student at Haad Ammara School in Samut Prakan at the time of her murder.

Maj Pakpum told the Gazette that many of the victim’s relatives and friends had attended the event to see the man who had taken Ketsaraporn’s life.

Among them was the victim’s mother, Ketsanee Munmom, 41.

Crying and overcome with rage, she attacked Krieng and slapped him in the face several times before police were able to pull her away, Maj Pakpum said.

On the night of December 31, 2006, Ketsaraporn, her boyfriend and other New Year’s Eve revelers were preparing to ring in 2007 in front of her home in Tambon Thai Ban Mai, Muang District, Samut Prakan, he explained.

About 11:30 pm, Krieng and three male friends arrived at the home on motorcycles.

The gang had been fighting with members of a rival gang who were also celebrating at the victim’s home, Maj Pakpum said.

Riding pillion, Krieng opened fire with a short-barrelled shotgun. Ketsaraporn was killed and two of her friends, both male students from her school, were injured, he added.

The other three men were arrested and charged, but Krieng managed to escape and fled to Phuket. He had been living in Phuket for about a year before his capture, he said.

Maj Pakpum named the other three men as Kunapan “Pom” Hemsuwan, 20; Vitun “Ko” Pon-Eim, 37; and Pornthep Mee-Sri, 31.