9-1-2024 (BANGKOK) A 35-year-old man is in custody for questioning after the bodies of his father and younger sister were uncovered in sealed steel boxes dumped in a pond in Ban Sang Khui, Phang Khon district.
Local residents alerted the police on Monday after noticing the sudden disappearance of two large steel boxes they had previously seen beside the pond. Around 1 am on Tuesday, police and rescue workers located the missing boxes submerged in the pond. The brand-new containers were securely closed with steel chains, and upon opening them, the lifeless bodies of 66-year-old Prayat Detphummee and his 33-year-old daughter Piangpen were revealed.
At the scene, a 35-year-old man, identified as Waroot, was detained by the police. Waroot, who was reportedly shouting and speaking incoherently, is the son of Prayat and the elder brother of Piangpen.
According to reports, the family hailed from Sawang Daen Din district, and a local metalworker informed the police that Waroot had purchased the two large steel boxes from him on November 25, 2023, for 12,000 baht. Waroot allegedly claimed the boxes were intended for storing fishing equipment.
Detectives from Sawang Daen Din police disclosed that relatives were informed the family was on a trip to Bhumibol Dam in Tak province. They left their home around noon on Monday. The family, described as well-to-do and owners of a three-storey dormitory, had faced tragedy previously as the mother, a retired government official, passed away in October the previous year.
