Pattaya —
Thai police are hunting for the prime suspect in the gruesome homicide of an LGBTQ+ online seller in Nonthaburi province. The suspect had been spotted in Pattaya before leaving for Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province this week.
On May 26th, 2024, the lifeless body of 54-year-old online seller Paisan Thong-aon was discovered in his condominium room on the 6th floor near the Ministry of Public Health in Nonthaburi. The victim had been stabbed multiple times and his body had been left to decompose for several days.
Police quickly identified the prime suspect as the victim’s male companion, who had been seen entering the condo with him shortly before the murder. CCTV footage captured the suspect fleeing the condo and catching a ride towards Pattaya.
A massive manhunt was launched, with police teams from Nonthaburi and Pattaya working together to track down the suspect. On May 27th around 9:22 PM, CCTV footage from Pattaya showed the suspect walking along Pattaya Beach. He was dragging a suitcase behind him.
The suspect, whose name has yet to have been revealed by relevant police, walked past Soi 11 before booking a hotel room. He then checked out around noon on May 28th and took a taxi from Central Pattaya to Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
Pattaya police interviewed a taxi driver, Mr. Paiwan Payakrit, 51, who called a taxi for the suspect. They learned that the suspect pretended to be a foreigner. He spoke English and claimed to be from Hong Kong. He was wearing a white hoodie, long pants, and a facial mask.
Police also interviewed the driver who drove the suspect to Hua Hin. The driver, identified only as Ms. Rut, revealed that she dropped the suspect off at the Hua Hin Night Market around 6 PM. She said the suspect paid 4,000 baht in cash and instructed her to wake him up when approaching the Hua Hin Airport. He then fell asleep.
Ms. Rut said the suspect spoke in English all the time, and she only learned of the suspect’s alleged involvement in the murder later.
Police are urging anyone with information about the suspect’s whereabouts to report to them as soon as possible.
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
