Fantasist slays wife
A Sing Buri man killed his wife of 10 years with a hammer in a row over her supposedly being unfaithful.
Muang police nabbed Narongwit, 42, for the brutal murder of his wife Siriwan, 39, last week. As was his habit, he lay in wait for her outside the factory where she worked in Phrom Buri district and when she emerged on her motorcycle started arguing with her.
Mr Narongwit followed her down the road on his own motorbike as the pair argued back and forth before he sped up and cut in front of her. When Siriwan got off her motorcycle, he struck her about the face and head with a hammer which he had brought with him.
When she lay motionless he covered her body with branches and left her by the side of the road. Later he returned home.
CCTV cameras opposite show him arriving home at 7.35pm on June 2 clutching a bottle of alcohol. He called out to his children to join him in a game of cards as if nothing had happened. At one point, he even asked one of his sons to call his mother to see what was keeping her so long, even though he must have known she was dead.
News reports say that a policeman answered the phone. Mr Narongwit, who suspected his wife's relatives would mount a search for his wife and come after him, changed his clothes and left home at almost 9pm, heading in the direction of Nakhon Sawan.
Relatives found her silver Honda motorbike by the side of the road, not far from her body, and alerted rescuers. She was sent to Sing Buri hospital and spent two days in ICU, but died on June 4 from her injuries.
Family members told reporters that the pair, who have four children, argued often. Mr Narongwit had tried to attack her many times but their kids would intervene.
Lately he had been lying in wait for her outside her workplace and following her home, as he felt unable to speak his mind in front of the kids.
Their children, however, say their mother was not seeing anyone and that Mr Narongwit, whom they suspect was on drugs, was paranoid.
Reporters visited Wat Khun Song Sattharam where Siriwan's funeral rites were being held and spoke to their third son, Jay (assumed name).
He said he was the closest to his mother and they spoke often. "Mum wasn't being unfaithful. My father was thinking too much and I suspect he was on drugs."
Another son, Jiw, 18, Siriwan's child from a previous relationship, said he used to regard Mr Narongwit as his father but after he started beating his mother, changed his mind. Whenever the children were at home, their father managed to control himself as the kids would stop him from harming their Mum. "But the result was he started lying in wait for her on her way home from work," Jiw said.
"He once threatened to kill the whole family but I still can't believe he could be so cold-blooded," Jiw said, referring to the attack.
Mr Narongwit, who admits the attack, handed himself in to Muang police on April 6, after initially taking shelter at a relative's place in Khon Kaen. Police charged him with premeditated murder.
News footage showed angry relatives lunging at him as police hurried Mr Narongwit into a van on their way to a crime reconstruction. One relative abused him and thumped the rear of the van. Mr Narongwit claims he didn't mean to do it, despite carrying a hammer.
Nephew stabs bossy uncle
An Udon Thani man killed his uncle in a knife duel, following a row sparked by drinking.
Dong Yen police nabbed Terdtoon "Kung" Chanpreechakul, 38, after he stabbed his uncle Kiatchai "Siang" Kulprom, 47, in the chest, killing him.
The knife fight at the uncle's place started after the two argued outside a convenience store in the village.
The pair were drinking at Siang's place when Siang sent his nephew out to get another bottle of whisky. However, he was away for ages, which annoyed his uncle.
Siang followed him on his pushbike. When arrived he reprimanded his nephew for the delay and kicked him.
Mr Kung said he tried to sign for the whisky (buy on credit) on Siang's behalf, but the shopkeeper insisted Siang sign for it himself.
When the two returned home Siang started arguing with his nephew again. According to To, another relative who was drinking with them, Siang challenged Mr Kung to a knife duel, but came off worse for wear.
Siang came at him with a kitchen knife, while Mr Kung grabbed a Sparta knife and lunged at his uncle.
"Siang called out saying he had been stabbed. I raced over but he was lying on the ground panting and fell still," To told police.
Officers caught up with Mr Kung at an aunt's place having a meal. He said he did not intend to flee but was merely regaining his composure before surrendering.
Siang, a carpenter who supplied local furniture shops, hired Mr Kung as a daily helper, but the two often bickered, with Siang accusing his nephew of being a slacker on the job.
Mr Kung, for his part, says his uncle was selfish and nagged him mercilessly. Police charged him with murder.
Man on pushbike seizes chance
An elderly Ratchaburi man stole two students' smartphones because he knew he couldn't afford to buy such devices himself.
Police nabbed Pin (no surname given), 64, after he stole the phones from a pair of students, aged 16, sitting at a shelter close to Wat Amornyat School in Damnoen Saduak district.
Pin approached the girls on his pushbike and whipped out a knife, threatening them. They handed over the iPhone 13 and Samsung Galaxy A they were playing with, along with 500 baht in cash.
The thief made off on his bike via the rear of the temple.
The teens complained to police, who checked CCTV cameras in the area. They say they had trouble finding the man at first as he fled via a coconut plantation.
However, when officers visited the scene they saw a man fitting the thief's description, standing with his bike outside a house.
Pin started behaving suspiciously when he saw the police. Officers asked to search him and found the phones and 350 baht. He had put the rest towards an outstanding power bill.
Wearing a farmer's hat and long-sleeved scot-patterned shirt, he admitted the theft, saying he was a first-time offender who succumbed to impulse.
Pin said his own phone had broken and he stole the girls' devices because, as a labourer earning a mere 300 baht a day, he could not afford to buy one himself.
He said he wanted a new phone to check social media and listen to music.
Police, who could find no history of prior offending or drug record, charged him with theft.
