Teenager arrested for brutal murder

KATHU: Tung Tong Police have arrested a 17-year-old man for the brutal stabbing murder of 40-year-old Nongying “Sao” Sengton in her home near Tung Tong Market in the early hours of November 27.

Pol Lt Col Witoon Kongsudjai, Deputy Superintendent of Tung Tong Police Station, said the arrest was made on January 16 at the youth’s home in Phang Nga’s Thapput District, where he had been in hiding since the murder.

The young man, who policed named only as “Aek”, was taken to Tung Tong Police Station the following day to re-enact the crime.

K. Sao’s body was found by well-known property owner Thavorn “Pae Lian” Kajkla, who identified the victim as his “second wife”, around 8 am on the day of the attack.

Her body had 15 deep stab wounds, the severity of which initially led police to believe she was murdered as a result of a personal conflict with her attacker.

However, Tung Tong Police Duty Inspector Pol Lt Col Passakorn Sonthikul told the Gazette that Aek said that he committed the murder solely for profit.

Aek was working as a builder in the area and lived with “Yod”, a 24-year-old native of Nakhon Sri Thammarat Province, who was his accomplice, Col Passakorn explained.

Yod waited outside K. Sao’s home and kept watch while Aek broke into the home to steal the victim’s valuables, he added.

Police have fingerprint evidence linking Aek to the murder scene, Col Passakorn said.

“When we arrested him, he confessed that he killed K.Sao because she woke up while he was searching her home,” he said.

Aek told police that he sold a gold bracelet and necklace stolen from K. Sao for about 60,000 baht at a gold shop in Thapput, sharing the money with Yod.

Yod is still at large. Aek is being held at the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center.