Actress Preechaya Pongthananikorn has offered a public apology for ordering cyanide online to poison snakes and monitor lizards in the backyard of her house, not knowing that it is illegal to possess the lethal chemical without a permit.

In her interview during the popular TV talk show “Hone Krasae”, together with her mother, the actress wept as she apologised for her mistake. She said that one day, while watching a TV news program, she and her Swiss boyfriend had argued about cyanide, as her boyfriend said that possessing the lethal chemical is illegal in Switzerland, while she insisted that it can be bought online in Thailand.

Preechaya said that, on April 25th, she ordered potassium cyanide online and paid 3,132 baht for it, adding that she thought she might have been cheated. Two days later, however, the chemical was delivered by parcel to her house.

She admitted that she was shocked that the cyanide was actually sent to her, but dared not open the bottle, adding that she had no intention whatsoever to use the lethal chemical to hurt herself, but to get rid of the snakes and other reptiles in the backyard of the house, which had attacked her pet dogs.

Her mother said that the wall at the back of their house had cracked due to the construction of a nearby project and she decided to demolish part of it, causing a hole which allowed snakes and monitor lizards from a nearby canal to crawl into the compound.

She said that she and Preechaya had already reported the cyanide purchase to Bang Khen police to indicate their desire to cooperate. They also claimed that they were not aware that monitor lizards are a protected species and that possessing cyanide without a license is illegal in Thailand.

Actress to be questioned by Thai police over her purchase of cyanide