Police have arrested three suspects in connection with the death of a man whose body was found stuffed inside a plastic box and covered with soil in a townhouse in the Don Mueang district of Bangkok.
Preliminary questioning revealed there had been a quarrel over a wristwatch, which preceded that victim’s death.
Police and forensic officers inspected the two-story townhouse on Tuesday morning, following a delayed reporting of the grisly find.
Upon searching the property, investigators discovered the body of Chaiyasit Khantha on the second floor. He had been crammed into a large blue plastic container then covered with fertiliser and soil.
The plastic box was found placed in patch of freshly turned earth, surrounded by several marijuana plants.
An initial autopsy revealed multiple signs of physical assault. A severe, deep sharp force wound was found in the center of his chest and the body has now been sent for a detailed post-mortem examination to establish the official cause of death.
Pol Lt Gen Siam Boonsom, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, stated that CCTV footage and other gathered evidence confirm that three individuals were involved in incident. The trio arrived at the townhouse on the night of June 14 to settle a dispute regarding a wristwatch.
The negotiation quickly escalated into a violent argument, culminating in the fatal assault.
"We are currently conducting an in-depth interrogation to expand the investigation and uncover the exact motive behind this horrific crime," Pol Lt Gen Siam said.
Police had initially only been able to apprehend one suspect, who was interrogated and charged with joint enterprise murder.
A manhunt was launched for the remaining two suspects, who were believed to be hiding in Bangkok and the Rangsit area of Pathum Thani. They have now been traced and arrested.
Investigators are now attempting to establish the precise role each individual played in the killing.
Authorities are also looking into why the incident was reported to the police so late. Although the murder is believed to have taken place at around 10.00pm on June 14, police did not inspect the house and find the body until at around 5.00am the following morning.
Pol Lt Gen Siam noted that investigators will question all individuals involved to determine why authorities were not notified immediately and whether anyone else had attempted to conceal the crime.
Meanwhile, a witness has claimed that they had attempted to alert the police shortly after the incident occurred, but could not provide the exact house number, which delayed the arrival of the police when the witness guided officers back to the location, leading to the discovery of the body.
The witness also told police that they had initially seen the victim lying on the ground floor inside the house, before the body was moved to the second floor, presumably in an attempt to hide it.
