It’s all cats and dogs, wage rage, masked courage test

Just another slaying

Suchatanon “Keow” Wantatha

A man at a homeless shelter cut the throat of a young resident and calmly lay on his bed as he waited for the police to arrive.

Bang Lamung police in Chon Buri nabbed Suchatanon “Keow” Wantatha, 41, for slaying Natthawut (no surname given), 21, with a bottle neck at a homeless shelter run by the Department of Social Development and Welfare.

Mr Keow, the victim and one other resident had been drinking on the second floor when Mr Keow accused Natthawut of stealing. Natthawut apologised for what appears to have been a misunderstanding but Mr Keow, who has a history of psychiatric problems, hit him over the head with the bottle.

Rachen, 33, a witness, said Mr Keow, who was drunk, would not listen to reason. “When Natthawut had fallen over and couldn’t get up again he started kicking him. I ran down to get help so did not see what happened next,” he said.

Police say Mr Keow stabbed the lad in the throat with the jagged bottle neck. When police arrived they found Mr Keow had dragged the young man’s body to the front of the room and dumped it outside the door, leaving a lengthy blood trail. He returned calmly to his bed. Police found him on his back with his legs crossed, casually beating time with his foot.

Reporters from Amarin TV travelled to his family home in Phonsai, Roi Et province where they spoke to his elder sister, Anong Siewthong, 51.

She said Mr Keow was staying with a relative in Chon Buri at the time of the incident. News reports were vague on how he ended up at the shelter, but his sister said Mr Keow had been mentally unwell for many years.

“He started work in Bangkok as a tuk tuk driver when he was 25. He fell in love with a woman, who pressured him to raise money to marry her. He wasn’t able to find it so she quit with him, leaving him with a depressive disorder which developed into a psychological condition,” she said.

“He returned to Roi Et for treatment. By this time he believed he was a visitor from another planet and saw me and our father as dogs.

“He was treated in many provinces and improved to the point where I sent him back to our relative’s place in Chon Buri.

“He was there less than a year when he ran into trouble again and was sent for electroconvulsive therapy so he would forget about his past.

“But it did not help and in fact he was worse than before. He attacked me and our father. He couldn’t tolerate anything or anyone which annoyed him, and saw everyone as dogs or cats.

“I am sorry about what happened, and would like to apologise to the victim’s family.” Police had yet to release details of the charge he faces.

Compulsion to kill

Wiraprot “Luk Moo” Khunthong

A convict who has served time for murder allegedly opened fire on a young employee after he dared ask about outstanding wages.

Nakhon Si Thammarat police arrested Wiraprot “Luk Moo” Khunthong, 30, for the July 17 slaying of third-year tech student Chakrapat Klinsuwan, who had been working at the suspect’s car care shop in Chulabhorn district for a month to help raise money for his studies.

He was shot multiple times in the face and body with an 11mm calibre handgun. Police found four spent shells nearby, and food and other items scattered about.

Luk Moo, the victim and another member of his staff had been having a meal when Chakrapat reminded his boss that he was owed outstanding wages. He was supposed to be paid daily, but Luk Moo hadn’t paid him in weeks. Police say Luk Moo flew into a rage and shot him before fleeing in a white pickup.

Luk Moo, who opened the car care shop about seven months ago, paid Chakrapat a pittance: just 40 baht for a car and 20 baht for a motorcycle. The victim’s parents, Juan Klinsuwan and his wife Jinda, said Chakrapat was their youngest son and had never had problems with anyone.

Chakrapat Klinsuwan

“My son complained that his boss hadn’t worked how much pay he was owed. He was supposed to be paid a percentage but his boss gave him 100-200 baht on occasion and that was it,” said Mr Juan, his father.

“I don’t know what part of his brain Luk Moo used to think. He shot him many times. If that’s all my son did, asking after wages he was owed, and Luk Moo responded in such an extreme manner, we can’t accept it,” he said. Luk Moo and his son were distant cousins, he said.

After Luk Moo fled, Nakhon Si Thammarat police chief Pol Maj Gen Somchai Suetortrakul, concerned about the gravity of the crime, ordered SWAT commandos to find him and sent a message through his relatives that if he put up a fight they would show no mercy.

Luk Moo, whom Pol Maj Gen Somchai said had served time for murder and was released from jail a couple of years ago, surrendered the next morning accompanied by relatives, who tried to stop a TV crew filming him. Police say he was scared he would fall victim to an extra-judicial killing by the police so gave up to face the law.

He brought in his handgun, which police say was unlicensed. They have sent it for forensic tests in Surat Thani to see if it is a match.

Luk Moo denied the charges of murder and said he would testify only in court. Police said they had enough evidence to prosecute and are confident they will get their man.

All in a day’s work

Jesadakorn

A Buri Ram youngster held up a convenience store to test his own courage, and after stealing from the store calmly went back to work as if nothing had happened.

Lam Plai Mat police nabbed Jesadakorn, or Jay (no surname given), 21, at his father’s grilled chicken shop after CCTV vision from the 7-11 store he robbed early on July 17 led them to him.

Jay had gone back to work with his Dad, who employs him, after robbing the store about 100m from his home. He wore a yellow full-length face mask and took with him a BB gun, containing a real bullet, for the robbery.

CCTV vision taken about 1.26am shows him jumping on the counter of the 7-11, grabbing money from the till, and running out the door. He made off with 1,200 baht in a robbery lasting just 40 seconds.

After heading home, he took his motorcycle to a nearby temple where he dumped in a pond at the rear the clothes he wore during the robbery, gloves, a pair of shoes, and the gun, which divers later retrieved.

The yellow face mask which Jesadakorn wore

Later he returned home to see his girlfriend, whom he had told three or four days previously that he would like to rob the 7-11.

At home, he told her he had just robbed the 7-11 as foreshadowed earlier, and handed over the cash. They did not tell his father.

Jay had spent 100 baht on food and snacks, and being a thrifty type of thief deposited 400 baht in his bank account. He also spent 200 baht on cat food for the household’s four cats. They put the rest in the upstairs safe.

“I was shocked when he told me he’d robbed the store, as I thought he was joking when he mentioned it several days before,” his girlfriend, Ja (assumed name), 17, said.

“I warned him against it, saying he’d be caught and sent to jail.”

Jay is a fan of the online game, Pay Day 2, in which players assume the role of thieves in a gang.

Asked by reporters if he was acting out scenes in the game, Jay denied it, though he admitted robbing the store as a test of his own courage. He passed the test apparently, though he said he wasn’t game to hurt anyone.

Media reports also focused on the household’s cats. Once again, Jay denied robbing the store to pay for the upkeep of their cats, saying his family had no money problems.

He said he found the gun by the side of the road, and robbed the store on the spur of the moment. He denied taking drugs or gambling.

His father, Lak Kriengkunwut, 56, whose grilled chicken store is well-known in the area, visited his son at the station. Jay embraced him in tears and apologised.

Police said they were looking into whether Jay has a history of mental problems.

Police and reporters gave the young man encouragement, saying that once he had served his time for the robbery he should race home to see his Dad.