NONTHABURI, Thailand – A Myanmar man has been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of a taxi driver in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan on August 28. The suspect, who was apprehended near Buathong Thani Village in Nonthaburi, is accused of luring the taxi driver before killing him and dumping the body in a fish pond. The suspect, identified as Mr. Sun, continues to deny full responsibility for the crime, but police remain skeptical due to the incriminating evidence found in his residence.
The incident involved the murder of Mr. Meechai, a 63-year-old taxi driver whose body was discovered bound and dumped in a fish pond, concealed under grass, near Ramathibodi Hospital in Samut Prakan. The victim had reportedly picked up the suspect in Nonthaburi at around 11:00 PM on August 26.
Police from Bang Bua Thong Police Station, Nonthaburi, arrested Mr. Sun at his makeshift shelter, where they also found the victim’s yellow-green taxi and mobile phone. Mr. Sun handed over the taxi keys to the authorities and admitted to driving the vehicle but denied involvement in the murder. However, a search of his home revealed a bloodstained, torn white shirt, muddy pants, and the victim’s mobile phone.
Upon inspecting the taxi, police found a green nylon rope in the trunk, similar to the one used to tie the victim’s hands, which was collected as evidence. Mr. Sun and the taxi were then transported to Bang Phli District in Samut Prakan for further investigation.
At Bang Phli Police Station, Mr. Meechai’s son, Mr. Yot, and a relative, Mrs. Rabiab, provided statements to the police. Mrs. Rabiab recounted that at around 9 AM on August 27, an unknown man called a relative’s phone, demanding 20,000 baht in exchange for Mr. Meechai’s life. She then heard Mr. Meechai scream “Ouch,” but his son initially dismissed the call as a prank and did not report it. Later that afternoon, they learned of Mr. Meechai’s gruesome murder.
During interrogation, Mr. Sun claimed that the murder was committed by a Myanmar drug dealer named Mr. Cees. According to Mr. Sun, Mr. Cees instructed him to wait by the roadside in Bang Bua Thong on the night of the incident. Mr. Cees allegedly arrived with Mr. Meechai in the taxi and told Mr. Sun that they were going to deliver drugs in Khlong Dan, Samut Prakan. An argument allegedly ensued between Mr. Meechai and Mr. Cees over an unpaid drug debt, leading to Mr. Cees forcing Mr. Meechai to drive to the location where his body was later found. Mr. Cees then ordered Mr. Sun to wait in Bang Bua Thong with the taxi. Mr. Sun claims he was unaware of what transpired afterward.
Police, however, are not convinced by Mr. Sun’s account, as his testimony contradicts the evidence found at the crime scene and his residence. Authorities are awaiting fingerprint analysis from the victim’s car and other evidence to determine if others were involved in the crime. (TNA)
