Phuket murder: victim’s lesbian lover sought for questioning

PHUKET: Police are investigating the apparent murder of a Phuket Town garment vendor whose body was discovered yesterday in her rented home in Chalong.

Chalong Police identified the victim as 41-year-old Chamaiporn Chuaykham, originally from Trang Province.

The gruesome discovery, at the victim’s home on Soi Kloom Yang Para, was made by Nattiporn Chuaykham, the 29-year-old brother of the victim.

He often visited his older sister on his days off, he told police.

About a week ago, he had done his laundry at her home and had come to collect it, Mr Nattiporn told police on Saturday.

Using the house key given to him by his sister, he found her badly decomposing body on its side, a pillow covering the face.

Dried bloodstains covered the walls and floor, and the victim’s belongings were found scattered all over the room.

Despite the advanced state of decomposition, police suspect the victim was bludgeoned in the head because the skull was caved in.

However, there were many other signs of trauma on other parts of the body.

No valuables were missing, leading police to believe the murder was a crime of passion.

Mr Nattipong told investigators that his elder sister had been in a business partnership with a lesbian lover.

The couple ran a garment business in the Expo market on Dilok-Uthit road in the center of Phuket Town, but had a falling out when business went bad three or four months ago.

Police efforts to find the woman and bring her in for questioning have so far been unsuccessful.

Neighbors reported hearing a violent argument inside the home several days before the discovery of the body, police said.

Ms Chamaiporn had not been seen since, they said.

Phuket Ruamjai Kupai Foundation workers took the body to Vachira Phuket Hospital for examination.

— Yodsak Jarana