The killing of Mr Boonma Ta Phet is the second of a father by a son in Thailand in three days and highlights the growing problem of addiction among young people in the kingdom not only to drugs but the internet and smartphones.
A 49-year-old devoted father was murdered by his demented son on Thursday afternoon in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok after he viciously attacked him from behind with a steel pipe. The younger man, 29 years of age, according to an eye witness at the scene, had a drug addiction problem and became manic when he either could not find drugs or mixed the substances he took with beer.
A Thai man, suffering from withdrawal symptoms from drugs, went berserk on Friday and murdered his devoted father with a steel pipe. The killing was the second case in three days where a father’s life was taken by his son in the kingdom.
The alarm was raised in the Bang Duea area of Pathum Thani’s Muang district by a 54-year-old worker on a construction site who witnessed the murder on Soi Thammasutee 19.
Pathum Thani police called to the scene
A unit led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Udomkiat of Pathum Thani police responded to the incident along with officers under the command of Police Lieutenant Colonel Anucha Ekkatas of Muang Pathum Thani police station.
The police had been alerted by the Village Head, Mr Roongroj Nu Man.
Near the entrance to the construction camp, they found the body of the deceased man, named as 49-year-old Mr Boonma Ta Phet, originally from the Ban Kruat District of Buriram province.
29-year-old man waited for police with the steel pipe and appeared to be in a menacing stupor
Not far from the body, at a distance of about 40 yards, police also became aware of the presence of the main suspect, 29-year old Mr Don Ta Phet who was still clutching the steel bar, the murder weapon which was about 2 metres long. He was wearing long jeans and a green plaid shirt.
He appeared to be in a stupor but was still weaving menacingly when approached by officers.
The witness, named as Mr Chatuporn Phongpricham, a construction worker who toiled on the site with the victim and his killer son, told police what he saw.
He said that the father had been erecting a gate at the entrance to the site when he saw his son walk towards him, from behind, in a clearly threatening manner with the steel pipe.
Young man hit his father with two blows
Mr Chatuporn said that the younger man hit his father from behind twice, at the top of the shoulder and the head before the older man fell to the ground, crying out for help.
The young man continued the attack, turning over his father’s body and attempting to beat him on the face with his hands but soon realised that the man was unresponsive. He was dead.
He then ran from the scene but later reappeared.
The witness said that he knew that Mr Boonma dearly loved his son and had made him a breakfast of rice that morning and brought it to him, as was his custom.
However, he told the police that the younger man had a drug habit and would become manic when he did not have enough drugs and began drinking beer.
Police negotiated with the crazed man for twenty minutes before wrestling him to the ground
At the scene, the young man defied the police and refused to surrender. Officers engaged with him for twenty minutes during which he denied that the victim was his father.
He said that Mr Boonma’s reflexes had been too slow to avoid the attacking blows. At length, he was persuaded to lay down the steel pipe and when an officer approached him to shake his hands, others swooped in to bring the man, who resisted wildly, under control by wrestling him to the ground.
Mr Chatuporn described the young man’s state of mind as a complete mental breakdown.
Full murder investigation launched by police
Police handed the body of Mr Boonma into the custody of the Institute of Forensic Sciences attached to the Ministry of Justice for an autopsy.
It is understood that it was taken to Thammasat Chalermprakiat Hospital where doctors will determine the exact cause of death.
Police also sealed off the scene and began to conduct a full examination as part of a murder enquiry. It is expected that legal proceedings for murder will be brought against the accused.
15 year old stabbed his father to death in Ratchaburi
Meanwhile, on Monday, in the Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi province, in central Thailand, west of Bangkok, a 15-year-old boy lashed out angrily at his father with a knife with the same deadly consequences.
He killed his parent after he was upbraided for using his smartphone after being ordered to attend to his school homework.
The boy’s grandmother told the press that she had cared for the attacker since her son and the boy’s mother had separated. He was attending school in the district and was in Mathayom 3, the third year equivalent of secondary school in Thailand.
The woman told the media that the teenager had mental health issues.
Schoolboy was reprimanded by his father for playing with his smartphone and not doing his school work
She was on hand to witness the horrific attack which occurred at the family home in Moo 5 village, tambon Krab Yai at 6.45 pm, last Monday.
The teenage boy was absorbed with his smartphone. This drew his father’s attention and he reprimanded his son for not attending to his schoolwork.
The boy responded by taking a long knife, about one foot long, which he had at his side, and mortally wounding his parent with a single blow to the left-hand side of the body.
The victim, shocked, is reported to have walked falteringly away from the angry young man into the kitchen of the house where he collapsed and died.
Criminal charges are expected
There has been no word yet on what charges the boy who can be held criminally responsible for the act, will face. The age of criminal responsibility and punishment in Thailand is 15 years though criminal proceedings can be brought against those aged twelve to 15 years on special terms.
In January, this year, the Thai cabinet raised the age of criminal responsibility from ten to 12 years and the age above which normal criminal punishment may apply to 15 years.
The case was expected to be assessed by social services.
It is understood that criminal legal proceedings in the case are expected.
Similar incidents in recent times in Thailand
In December, last year, a 17-year-old son of a highly respected policeman, Police Senior Sergeant Major Anuwat, murdered his father after being told to quit playing an online game in the Ban Ta Khun District of Surat Thani province in southern Thailand.
Previously, in June last year, a 29-year-old man, Sak Duanjan from Sisaket province, in the kingdom’s northeast, was reported to police by his parents after he attempted to poison them by surreptitiously pouring pesticide into their rice cooking pot after they had switched the internet router at home off due to his incessant late-night internet activity.
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Further reading:
Drug police put retraction behind them to smash billion baht Myanmar drug operation in Bangkok raid
Use of cocaine and cannabis is still highly illegal in Thailand with very serious legal consequences
One of the biggest drug dealers in the South flees home as Thai police and army move against him
Thai man burns down his family home: Thailand’s drugs problem is still a very real threat to society
UK man arrested on drugs charges by CSD police in Pattaya claims ex Thai wife set him up
UK drug dealers living it up in Thailand to be deported back to the UK after arrests in Pattaya
Italian living with Thai wife on Koh Phangan arrested for dealing after drugs found in the post
UK drug dealers living it up in Thailand to be deported back to the UK after arrests in Pattaya
Kiwi taken into custody on drug charges in Chiang Mai after police raided his bar and restaurant
Double life of a UK man who became a drug dealer in Udon Thani
UK man watched his ceiling as a downpour of money spelled his downfall and jailing in Thailand
