Phuket police hunt ‘ballot box killer’

PA KHLOK, PHUKET: Phuket police are hunting a killer who stabbed a 26-year-old man to death before straddling the body and carving a bizarre symbol into the torso with a knife.

Pornsit Pongsakornsopa’s corpse was found on Sunday morning in the middle of Srisoonthorn Road, opposite Boom Boom Karaoke, about 100 meters from Heroines’ Monument.

There was some disagreement over the exact form of the symbol carved into the victims’s stomach area.

According to a Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker who was first on the scene, the symbol resembled a crossed box, similar to that found on a marked ballot paper.

Inspector Seksan Komsakorn of Thalang Police, who arrived shortly afterwards, said the symbol was a large rectangle.

Following an initial investigation, the police already have a suspect and are in the process of requesting an arrest warrant from the courts, he said.

“We have eyewitness reports that a gang of rowdy young men from Thai Muang [in Phang Nga] spent that night getting drunk at Boom Boom Karaoke,” Lt Col Seksan said.

A fight erupted between the victim, his 18-year-old friend Pinyo Boonyon and two members of the Thai Muang gang outside the karaoke venue, Lt Col Seksan said.

The fight started after members of the Thai Muang gang tried to hit on the two men’s girlfriends, he said.

Mr Pinyo was stabbed in the chest and ran away, leaving Mr Pornsit fighting alone.

After Mr Pornsit was then himself stabbed, he was seen to stagger into the middle of Srisoonthorn Road, before collapsing.

One of his assailants ran over and straddled the body, carving the strange mark deeply into the stomach area with a knife.

“I’ve never seen a killing like this in Thalang before,” Lt Col Seksan said.

Police in Thai Muang have joined the hunt and have established that the suspect moved to Phuket to work some time ago.

Police are also hunting the second Thai Muang man involved in the fight.

Pa Khlok Mayor Atipong Kongnam said he was sure the men could not have come from Pa Khlok.

“I’m sure there are no gangsters from Pa Khlok. I’ve lived here since I was born. I make sure the village chiefs keep an eye on the people in their villages,” he said.

— Kitima Pornmongkhonwat