Man arrested for murder at Khao Khad Viewpoint

WICHIT: Phuket City Police took just 12 hours to arrest one man for the brutal stabbing and shooting murder of a bank employee on the night of October 12, but another key suspect in the case remains at large.

According the the Phuket Provincial Police website, Phuket City Police Duty Officer Nanon Pitakkulthon was notified on October 13 that a murder had taken place at the Khao Khad lookout point.

Tourists at about 8 am had first found bloodstains and then the body of the victim lying 20 meters below.

Arriving at the scene with Kusoladharm Foundation workers, police recovered the body of a man who had suffered two stab wounds to the back and a gunshot wound to the head.

The only valuable evidence recovered from the scene was the victim’s mobile phone, from which police used the SIM card to identify the victim as 31-year-old Roengchai Suwannarak, a native of Trang.

The following morning, Police Region 8 Commander Santarn Chayanon and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Apirak Hongthong held a press conference at Phuket City Police Station to announce the arrest of 41-year-old Sathid Ammarat, also from Trang.

Sathid confessed to conspiracy to commit murder, as well as two weapons charges, police said.

His co-worker, Mr Roengchai, and a fellow employee named Somchai Ledkarn had been drinking at the viewpoint the night before when an argument broke out at about 3 am, police said.

All three men were employed as repossession officers by the Thanachart Bank Co Ltd, police said.

Sathid told police that he stabbed Mr Roengchai after he had already been shot in the head by Somchai and was lying on the ground.

The pair then lifted his body and threw it over the precipice in the hope it would not be found, police said.

They then fled the scene to Suan Luang Park, where police later recovered some bloody footwear and clothing left there by the two men, who then split up.

Police arrested Sathid at 9 am the following morning, but Somchai remains at large.