Kiln death; cart caution; daring shoot; old man's row

Brutal murder shocks

 Police arrest the suspects.

A Khon Kaen couple were arrested for the premeditated murder of their baby boy, whose body was found burned in a charcoal kiln.

Sugar cane farmers alerted police to the grisly find after noticing smoke coming from a charcoal kiln on their field at Ban Hin Hao. The kiln had not been used in months.

Police and forensic teams found the remains of the infant still attached to its umbilical cord, with blood nearby and the fire still smoldering, reports said.

The case has shocked locals because of the cold-blooded way it was executed.

Police reviewed CCTV footage from Aug 16 and saw a man and woman riding a motorcycle, with the woman carrying a pink plastic basket, heading towards the fields.

They were later identified as Panadda, 34, and Pongsathorn, 30 (no surnames provided). Police sought warrants for the pair on charges of premeditated murder and concealing, burying, or destroying a body to cover up the cause of death.

After her arrest, the baby’s mother Panadda admitted burning her child shortly after birth, claiming she covered the infant’s face with a blanket out of fear she could not afford to raise it.

However, police say her account contradicts forensic evidence.

The kiln where the baby's body was burned.

Panadda said she had given birth alone in her rented Khon Kaen condo on Aug 15, while her partner, an electrician, was away. She claimed the baby boy died the following morning.

Afraid of the consequences and not knowing what to do, she and her partner decided to burn the body in a friend’s charcoal kiln. They bought a bottle of fuel on the way and stayed by the fire for about 20 minutes until they believed the body had been destroyed.

Her partner corroborated some details but said that afterwards, the two parted ways and returned to their family homes before being arrested.

However, police say the mother’s testimony is inconsistent with the autopsy results.

Doctors found severe blunt-force trauma to the back of the infant’s skull, with no signs of suffocation by compression.

They also concluded the baby had been alive after birth, as meconium had already passed and stool was present — evidence that the digestive system had begun functioning.

This suggests the baby lived long enough to feed and cry before being fatally injured.

Police brought both suspects to a crime scene re-enactment, during which Panadda fainted and was taken to hospital.

Pongsathorn completed the re-enactment before being taken back into custody.

Both will be held for further questioning before being taken to court.

Background checks revealed Pongsathorn had prior convictions for theft and drug offences, while Panadda had previously served time for theft, police said.

Sign of the times

The 'well-dressed' couple steal a garbage cart.

A shop owner in Pathum Thani is warning traders in the area to watch out for a well-dressed couple who stole a 300 baht rubbish cart.

Phattharatip Lekdara, 30, owner of the Tianfu Mala restaurant, reported the theft to police in Khlong Luang district.

CCTV cameras caught a well-dressed man and woman arriving on a so-called Big Bike to steal her cart.

At the time she was abroad, but when staff told her the shop’s garbage cart had gone missing, she reviewed the footage and saw the couple.

The video shows them arriving on their bike and stopping in front of her shop. The man covers the cart with a large bag before riding off.

“What struck me was how well they were dressed — almost like people of means,” Ms Phattharatip said. “The man seemed to know where the cameras were and tried to avoid them, almost like a professional thief.”

She posted the clip to a local Facebook group to warn other businesses in the Khlong Sam area.

Ms Phattharatip believes the theft reflects today’s difficult economic climate. “It wasn’t even an expensive item — just 300 baht. It’s hardly worth filing a police report.

“But that’s why they probably target small things like this, things that are easy to take and resell,” she said. “Judging from their behaviour, I think they’ve done this before.”

She urged other shop owners not to leave items unsecured in front of their stores.

“Even if you think something is worthless or nobody would bother stealing it, in these times people will take anything they can sell. Better to keep it locked away than waste time and money replacing it.”

Collateral damage

 Juthamas is taken to hospital.

A Mathayom 6 (Grade 12) girl in Trang was shot in the hip while riding pillion with her boyfriend after they encountered a group of rival teens.

The gunman, police later learned, was only 18.

The attack occurred along the road leading to Somdet Phra Srinagarindra 95 Park, also known as Khao Pae Choi, in Muang district.

The injured victim and her friends took refuge following the shooting at a petrol station on Huai Yot Road.

Juthamas (no surname given), 18, of Palian district, was shot once in the hip with an unknown type of firearm.

Juthamas was riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by her boyfriend, Thitiphum (no surname given), 16, about midnight on Aug 18.

He was taking her to hang out with friends at the park, she said, when they ran into a group of youths who had a grievance with one of Thitiphum’s friends.

The rival group fired a gun at Thitiphum’s friend, but the weapon misfired.

Thitiphum sped off with Juthamas on the back. The gang ordered them to stop, but when he didn’t, one fired a shot, hitting Juthamas in the hip.

Thitiphum continued fleeing with her holding on behind until they reached the petrol station, where they sought help. She was later taken to hospital, while the shooters fled.

Police have identified the gunman as an 18-year-old from Muang district.

He remains at large but is being pursued to face legal action.

Heat of the moment

 The ramshackle shelter where the old men were drinking.

An old man in Khon Kaen has been arrested after hitting a drinking friend over the head in a row over a woman they admired.

The men were drinking at the home of the 56-year-old woman at the centre of a supposed love triangle when they started to argue.

Waeng Yai police nabbed C (a pseudonym), 75, for killing A, 80, at the house.

C was waiting when police arrived, still holding the hoe, and visibly intoxicated, reports said.

The incident took place in B’s yard. A was found with a severe wound to the right temple after the old man allegedly hit him.

The suspect said he brought alcohol to drink outside B’s house on the morning of Aug 18. A, who joined them, provoked him by claiming the suspect secretly liked the woman and made insulting remarks, he said, sparking a heated argument.

The woman tried to intervene, asking both men to leave her home to prevent further conflict.

Once outside in the yard, the suspect grabbed a nearby hoe and struck the victim on the head with great force, killing him immediately.

Police charged him with premeditated murder.