Five murders, two hidden graves and four suspects. Police say confessions to the murders of Russian siblings Diana Nazimova, 22, and Roman Nazimov, 17, led detectives to an executed Thai family buried nearby, exposing Pattaya’s criminal underworld.
The confessions of 43-year-old Thana Kertthong, known as “Pong”, and 39-year-old Thongchai Srinil, known as “Thong”, to the murders of Russian siblings Diana Nazimova, 22, and her 17-year-old brother Roman Nazimov have ripped open a case that brings home the dark side lurking beneath Pattaya’s reputation as the world’s Sin City. Their admissions led detectives to a second grave containing an entire Thai family executed weeks earlier after a violent home invasion, exposing five suspected murders, four arrests, police impersonation, robbery and an investigation now examining whether the gang is linked to even more crimes.
Horror unfolded in Pattaya on Friday night into Saturday morning as police uncovered what is rapidly becoming one of Thailand’s most disturbing murder investigations in years.
The arrest of two suspects over the killings of two Russian siblings quickly exposed another execution site only a few hundred metres away. There, detectives unearthed the bodies of an entire Thai family murdered weeks earlier and buried together in a single grave.
The grim discovery followed the arrests of 43-year-old Thana Kertthong, known as “Pong”, and 39-year-old Thongchai Srinil, known as “Thong”, in Sa Kaeo province on Friday. Both men had already confessed to murdering Russian siblings Diana Nazimova, 22, and her 17-year-old brother Roman Nazimov after the pair disappeared during the early hours of July 26. However, investigators soon realised the case extended far beyond the deaths of the two Russian nationals.
Police find three bodies in single grave as failed search gives way to grim discovery beneath coconut trees
Late on Friday night, Provincial Police Region 2 commander Pol Lt Gen Chatchai Surachetphong led officers from the burial site of the Russian siblings to another location beneath Highway 7 near Mab Fak Thong hill. The second scene lay inside a coconut grove about 300 to 400 metres from the Russians’ grave. There, according to police, both suspects admitted they had buried another three victims on July 6.
Initially, officers searched beside a coconut tree identified by the suspects. They found nothing. Thongchai, who police said dug the grave, struggled to remember the precise location after several weeks had passed. Investigators therefore widened the search before moving to another nearby tree. This time, the excavation quickly produced results.
After digging about one metre, officers uncovered the first decomposing body. They then continued another 1.5 metres into the ground. Soon afterwards, two more bodies emerged from the same pit. The victims had been buried one above another in a single grave.
Police identified them as 53-year-old Wichian Wongsa, his 50-year-old wife Chanthana Chatrin and their 18-year-old daughter Nichapa Wongsa. The family had disappeared from their home in Huai Yai subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, almost a month earlier. Relatives had filed a missing person report with Huai Yai Police Station on July 7 after repeated attempts to contact them failed.
Notably, investigators said Wichian’s hands remained secured with handcuffs when his body was recovered. Chanthana’s wrists were still tied with rope. Nichapa’s body lay above her parents. Those details immediately suggested the victims had been restrained before their deaths.
Forensics and grieving relatives reveal execution-style killings as detectives reconstruct family’s fate
As part of the recovery operation, forensic officers from Chonburi’s Division 2 examined the remains with metal detectors before removing the bodies. They recovered two bullets from Nichapa’s body. They also found one bullet each in Wichian and Chanthana.
Police said the preliminary findings indicated all three victims had been shot before burial. Even so, investigators will rely on detailed autopsies to establish the precise causes of death.
At the scene, relatives watched the recovery in growing despair. Several broke down in tears as rescue workers carefully lifted the remains from the grave. Others fainted before receiving first aid. The emotional scenes ended almost a month of uncertainty for a family that had refused to give up hope.
Meanwhile, detectives reconstructed what they believe happened on July 6. According to police, Thana led four men to the family’s home while pretending to be police officers investigating drug-related offences. Only Wichian and Chanthana were inside when the group arrived. Wichian was immediately handcuffed. Chanthana’s hands and feet were then tied with rope.
Moments later, the family’s daughter returned home from work at a convenience store. Instead of finding her parents waiting, she walked directly into the gang. Police said she was immediately restrained before joining her parents in captivity. The three victims were then forced into their own pickup truck.
Police allege gang dug grave before shootings and later returned home to avoid raising immediate suspicion
Investigators said the gang drove the family to the nearby coconut grove. There, police believe Thongchai spent almost two hours digging the grave before the killings began. Officers described the excavation as deliberate preparation rather than an attempt to conceal the crime afterwards.
According to investigators, Thana first shot Chanthana. He then ordered accomplice Asadang Chuwong, known as “Ball”, to shoot Wichian. Afterwards, police said another accomplice, Chatchanan Paen-iam, known as “Fluke”, was instructed to shoot Nichapa twice with the same firearm. The bodies were then pushed into the grave before the pit was filled.
Separately, investigators allege the gang stole the family’s Honda Wave motorcycle before selling it. Police also believe the suspects calmly returned to their normal lives after the murders. The victims’ pickup truck was driven back to their home. Detectives believe that move delayed suspicion because neighbours saw the vehicle where it normally belonged.
On another front, police arrested Ball, 25, and Fluke, 24, after questioning the first two suspects. Investigators believe all four men participated in the murders. Detectives are now preparing charges including intentional murder, robbery, concealing bodies and impersonating police officers.
Police examine robbery motive as grieving relatives finally learn truth behind family’s disappearance
According to Pol Lt Gen Chatchai, robbery appears to have been the gang’s original objective. However, investigators are still examining the precise motive because the victims and suspects did not previously know one another.
Detectives continue comparing the suspects’ statements with forensic evidence recovered from both crime scenes.
In parallel, officers revealed Thana showed no visible signs of stress or remorse during the crime scene reconstruction. Police said his demeanour remained unchanged while investigators retraced the sequence of events. The commander also urged the public to call 191 immediately if anyone claiming to be a police officer commits criminal acts.
For the victims’ relatives, the discovery finally explained weeks of unanswered questions. Chanthana’s younger sister, Tukata, said the family initially believed the missing trio had travelled unexpectedly or become temporarily unreachable. However, concern steadily grew because Chanthana always contacted relatives whenever she travelled. This time, no calls came.
Relatives eventually went to the family home themselves. They found the pickup truck parked outside together with almost all the family’s belongings. There were no obvious signs of forced entry. Nor was there evidence of a violent struggle. Nevertheless, one Honda Wave motorcycle had disappeared. That discovery deepened the family’s fears.
Russian siblings case ends family’s month-long search by uncovering hidden grave near murder scene
For weeks, relatives searched woodland behind the property without success. They also continued bringing food to the dogs left behind at the house. At the same time, they repeatedly telephoned the missing family members.
Nobody answered. They contacted police repeatedly and asked officers to examine mobile phone records. However, they could not obtain some information because only law enforcement agencies held the authority to access it.
Eventually, everything changed because of the investigation into the Russian siblings’ murders. After police announced they had uncovered another burial site nearby, relatives travelled to the scene fearing the worst. Their fears were confirmed when investigators identified the three bodies as their missing family members.
Tukata later said that without the investigation into the murders of Diana Nazimova and Roman Nazimov, her family might never have discovered what had happened to her sister, brother-in-law and niece. For almost a month, they had searched, waited and continued hoping the family would return home. Instead, they learned the three had been buried only a short distance from where two Russian murder victims were later discovered.
Murders of Russian siblings expose wider investigation after suspects lead detectives to another grave
The investigation had begun only days earlier with the disappearance of Russian siblings Diana Nazimova and Roman Nazimov. Police said the pair left home on a Honda ADV motorcycle during the early hours of July 26 before vanishing. Detectives later traced their final movements to a forested area in Huai Yai, where search teams uncovered a shallow grave.
Inside, officers found the siblings buried together. Diana’s body lay above her younger brother’s. According to police, Roman had been shot once in the head and once in the abdomen. Investigators also found signs of physical assault on Diana.
However, preliminary forensic examinations found no evidence that she had been sexually assaulted. Both victims remained fully clothed when they were recovered.
As investigators expanded their enquiries, attention quickly focused on Thana and Thongchai. Both men were arrested in Sa Kaeo province before being transported back to Chonburi for questioning.
According to police, their confessions transformed what had appeared to be a single murder investigation into a much broader inquiry. Within hours, detectives had uncovered another grave, identified three more victims and arrested two additional suspects.
Detectives widen investigation after motorcycle motive leads police to second grave and more suspects
Police believe the Russian siblings were killed for their motorcycle. That motive emerged during questioning before detectives pressed the suspects about other possible crimes.
Eventually, investigators were led to the second burial site, where the bodies of the missing Thai family were recovered. The discovery dramatically widened the scope of the investigation.
Notably, investigators are continuing to verify every statement made by Thana against forensic evidence collected from both crime scenes. Detectives are also examining whether he may be connected to additional serious offences. Police have not ruled out further investigations as evidence continues to emerge.
Meanwhile, officers are assembling separate criminal cases arising from the two murder investigations.
The deaths of Diana and Roman remain under detailed forensic examination. In parallel, detectives are compiling evidence relating to the murders of Wichian, Chanthana and Nichapa. Prosecutors are expected to receive comprehensive case files once investigators complete their enquiries.
Forensic evidence and confessions strengthen police case as detectives reconstruct gang’s movements
According to Pol Lt Gen Chatchai Surachetphong, investigators have gathered significant evidence from both burial sites. Forensic examinations, witness statements and the suspects’ confessions now form key parts of the inquiry. However, police continue testing every claim before reaching final conclusions.
Investigators have also reconstructed the movements of the suspects following the murders. Police allege the gang returned the family’s pickup truck to their home after the killings.
They also believe the suspects sold the stolen Honda Wave motorcycle before resuming their daily lives. Those actions, investigators said, initially helped conceal the family’s disappearance.
Elsewhere, Tukata described the weeks following the disappearance as an emotional ordeal. She said relatives initially convinced themselves the family had travelled without warning. That explanation gradually became impossible to accept. Her sister had always contacted relatives while away from home. This time, every telephone call went unanswered.
The family repeatedly visited the house searching for clues. Everything appeared strangely normal. The family’s belongings remained inside. Their car was still parked outside. There were no obvious signs of violence. Nevertheless, relatives became increasingly concerned after discovering one Honda Wave motorcycle had vanished.
Family’s desperate month-long search ends after Russian murders investigation led to hidden burial site
For almost a month, the search continued without answers. Relatives fed the dogs left behind at the property while hoping someone would eventually return. They searched nearby woodland and repeatedly contacted police.
They also requested checks of mobile phone signals. According to Tukata, the family exhausted every option available to them. Even so, many enquiries could only be pursued by law enforcement agencies.
In response, officers continued investigating the missing persons case. Progress, however, remained limited until detectives uncovered the Russian murders. Once those suspects were arrested, investigators began questioning them about other possible offences. That breakthrough ultimately led police directly to the second grave.
Tukata later acknowledged that without the investigation into the Russian siblings’ murders, her family might never have learned what happened to their loved ones. Instead, police were able to recover all three bodies and begin establishing exactly how the family died.
Separately, investigators continue examining the sequence of events surrounding the Russian siblings’ deaths. Police believe Diana and Roman disappeared after setting out on their motorcycle during the early hours of July 26.
Prime Minister joins expanding inquiry as police prepare prosecutions over five killings in Pattaya case
Their bodies were later discovered buried together in a shallow grave roughly one metre deep. Detectives have described that discovery as the starting point of the wider investigation now unfolding across Chonburi province.
On another front, officers are continuing to analyse forensic evidence recovered from both graves. Specialists are expected to compare ballistic findings, autopsy results and other evidence against the suspects’ statements. Detectives are also reviewing every stage of the crimes before submitting the completed files to prosecutors.
The scale of the investigation prompted an immediate response from the government. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cancelled scheduled engagements in Suphan Buri on Saturday afternoon. Instead, he travelled to Chonburi to receive updates directly from investigators and inspect developments in the case.
Police search for naked bodies of Russian siblings after arrested suspect confessed to murdering both
Two arrested, Two sought. Missing Russian siblings case grows darker in Pattaya with criminal links
Speaking on Saturday, the Prime Minister said the brutal killings were tantamount to “killing the entire nation” because they had damaged public confidence and tarnished Thailand’s reputation. His visit came as police continued securing evidence from both murder scenes and preparing formal charges against the four suspects.
Finally, investigators stressed that both murder investigations remain active. Detectives are continuing to verify confessions, examine forensic evidence and interview witnesses.
Police are also investigating whether the suspects may have been involved in other serious crimes. For now, officers remain focused on establishing the full circumstances surrounding the murders of Diana Nazimova, Roman Nazimov, Wichian Wongsa, Chanthana Chatrin and Nichapa Wongsa before forwarding the completed cases for prosecution.
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