A man, his mother, and his girlfriend have been arrested for the alleged murder of a ride-hailing service driver and an attempt to dispose of his body in Chon Buri.
Local residents in Chon Buri reported the discovery of a burned body in a forest near Wat Tham Prathun in the Bang Lamung district early last Friday. The victim was later identified as Thanathip Waedthaisong, a 31-year-old from Kalasin.
After examining CCTV footage, police identified three suspects in the case.
The suspects are 23-year-old Theeraphan Somkham, his 16-year-old girlfriend Mee, and his mother, 51-year-old Eliya Abdulahi.
Police reports state that Mr. Theeraphan requested a Bolt ride to Soi Tanman in the Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri last Thursday around 5pm.
A dispute erupted between Mr. Theeraphan and the driver, Thanathip, early Friday morning, due to Mr. Theeraphan’s bank mobile app malfunctioning, preventing him from paying the fare.
Mr. Theeraphan claimed to the police that the driver’s furious reaction and insults led him to stab the driver to death with a knife, while his girlfriend watched.
Subsequently, Mr. Theeraphan used the victim’s car to collect his mother. They then transported the body to a forest and attempted to burn it, but the body was only partially burned.
They then drove the car to Bangkok, sold it to a woman named Bow, and booked a bus ticket to Phitsanulok, where they were eventually arrested.