SAMUT PRAKAN: A man wanted for the murder of his wife, who was set on fire and then stabbed to death at Bang Pu Industrial Estate in Muang district on Monday, was arrested on Tuesday in adjoining Chachoengsao province.
Police identified him as Pisutsiri Chansoda, 42, from Khon Kaen's Ban Fang district. He fled the murder scene in a white Mitsubishi pickup.
Mr Pisutsiri was arrested by a team led by Pol Lt Col Tulchai Somjai, deputy chief investigator of Bang Pu police, about 10.30am. He was found in the pickup, which was parked on Theparat road near the bridge across the Bang Pakong river in Bang Pakong district of Chachoengsao.
The police had a warrant for his arrest from the Samut Prakan Court on charges of pre-meditated murder and carrying a weapon in public.
A search of the vehicle found the knife believed used to kill the woman, among other personal belongings.
Mr Pisutsiri allegedly confessed to fatally stabbing his wife Nathanan Joomfong, 45, in a jealous rage after seeing her online chat with another man.
Afterwards, he drove aimlessly along several roads, eventually arriving at the Bang Pakong river, where he parked near the bridge where police arrested him. He allegedly told police he was about to jump into the river to drown himself.
Mr Pisutsiri was taken to Bang Pu police station for questioning and legal proceedings.
His wife was savagely murdered about 3pm on Monday in Soi Nikhom Bang Pu 9 in the Bang Pu Industrial Estate.
Witnesses told police they were cleaning their songtaew vehicles when a pickup arrived. A woman wearing only a towel fled towards them, asking for help. The towel was soaked with petrol, they said.
The pickup driver, who was wearing only a pair of trousers, approached her with a plastic container of petrol, which he poured on her and then set her on fire with a lighter. One of the witnesses was burned on his arms and back trying to protect the woman, and later rushed to hospital.
The attacker then stabbed the woman with a knife. She fled into a water-filled ditch, suffering burns and bleeding from six stab wounds, and died. Her killer fled in the pickup he arrived in.
