A search for a missing disabled lottery seller in Nan ended with the discovery of his body inside a sack in the Nan River after a suspect confessed to killing him, claiming the attack followed a dispute over debt.
Tatthaphong, a 45 year old disabled lottery seller, disappeared on October 9 along with his motorcycle, lottery tray and cash, prompting a search across Tha Wang Pha district.
Police made a breakthrough on October 13 after examining information and CCTV footage and noticing suspicious movements involving Tatthaphong’s motorcycle.
Officers brought in a 43 year old man identified by the pseudonym Ae for questioning, where he admitted to killing Tatthaphong and dumping his body in the Nan River.
Ae said that he and Tatthaphong were close friends and that he regularly took lottery tickets from him to pay for later.
He originally owed Tatthaphong 10,000 baht and had repaid 5,000 baht, leaving another 5,000 baht outstanding.
Before the killing, Ae contacted Tatthaphong to arrange a partial repayment. Ae said he had been drinking and was intoxicated when the two met near the entrance to a rubber plantation.
An argument over the debt broke out after Tatthaphong said he would go to Ae’s wife and mother-in-law to demand the money. Ae became angry, strangled Tatthaphong until he fell, and then struck him repeatedly with a wooden stick.
After realising Tatthaphong had died, Ae said he dragged the body into the rubber plantation, placed it inside a fertiliser sack and transported it by motorcycle to the Nan River, where he dumped it about one kilometre from the scene.
Police then took Ae to locations linked to his account. Near the rubber plantation, they found blood by the roadside, a blood-stained face mask and a wooden stick believed to have been used in the attack.
Tatthaphong’s motorcycle was found hidden with its registration plate removed, while no additional evidence was initially found at the riverbank where Ae said he had dumped the body.
The search continued into yesterday, October 14, with rescue workers and relatives splitting into two teams and using boats to search along the Nan River.
At about 1pm, search teams were alerted to a body inside a sack caught among branches in the Nan River. It was found more than 10 kilometres from the location Ae had identified, and the sack had not been tied shut.
Rescue workers recovered Tatthaphong’s body and sent it to Nan Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Police are not convinced that anger over the remaining debt was the only motive. Investigators are also examining whether Tatthaphong was killed to avoid repayment or for cash and other property.
Tatthaphong sold lottery tickets and also lent money, and relatives and officials said he may have been carrying more than 30,000 baht when he disappeared.
Police are also questioning inconsistencies in Ae’s account after information he initially provided led search teams to check four ponds before he later said he had dumped the body in the Nan River.
The investigation is continuing as police work to establish the full motive behind the killing.
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