A Thai mother and her husband have been arrested for hiring a gunman to murder her violent, drug-addicted son after years of abuse, revealing the horrifying toll of Thailand’s meth crisis on rural families. Villagers say the killing has left them stunned.
The scale and depth of Thailand’s entrenched drug crisis were laid bare on Friday, following the arrest of a 55-year-old mother for conspiracy and the premeditated murder of her drug-addicted son. Her husband and the gunman who carried out the killing had been arrested the day before. The couple were well regarded in their village in Phen District, Udon Thani Province. Locals have been left deeply shocked and shaken by the murder.
In a grim reflection of Thailand’s deepening drug crisis, a mother and stepfather have been arrested for hiring a gunman to kill her son after years of violent abuse and addiction. Mr Ponchai, known locally as “Big,” was found dead on 13 May in a rice-field hut at the edge of Nong Bua Ban village, Sum Sao Subdistrict, Phen District, Udon Thani. His body had been dragged to the banks of Lam Huai Luang stream. He had been shot four times with a homemade handgun.
The murder followed years of family turmoil, driven by the victim’s long-term methamphetamine addiction.
Years of drug use and violent outbursts pushed mother to breaking point as locals watched tragedy unfold
According to local residents, Big had become increasingly violent. He extorted his mother for drug money—sometimes up to ฿10,000 at a time. If she couldn’t pay, he beat her. Neighbours say he had previously been arrested for drug offences and never held a job.
“I saw him yank her hair once in front of the house,” said one villager. “We knew he had problems, but not that bad.”
On 16 May, officers from Phen Police Station arrested 55-year-old Mrs Pensri (surname withheld), the victim’s mother, under Udon Thani Provincial Court warrant No. 173/2568. She was charged with ordering the premeditated murder of her son.
Her husband, Mr Sompak or Som, 61, and the alleged gunman, Mr Sangkom or Sang, 53, were arrested earlier on 15 May. Both men lived in Sum Sao and confessed to the killing.
During questioning, Mrs Pensri gave a chilling account. “I couldn’t take it anymore,” she told police. “He took drugs, beat me, threatened to kill me and his stepfather. I had to borrow money just to survive.”
Mother confessed to begging a family friend to kill her son as violence escalated and fear consumed the home
She admitted she asked her husband to approach Mr Sangkom, a younger family friend she trusted. She begged him to kill Big. At first, she denied offering payment. But Mr Sangkom later told officers she promised him ฿50,000.
“I didn’t want to do it,” he confessed. “But she kept asking. She said her son would kill her soon.”
Mr Sangkom said he owned a gun but had never used it. He bought it for ฿5,000 from a deceased police officer at Ban Dung Police Station. After accepting the job, he asked Mr Sompak to buy bullets. They obtained four .38-calibre rounds and made their plan.
On the evening of 12 May, they rode a tricycle motorbike to a hut in the fields. Mr Sompak called Big and told him the bike had broken down. He asked him to come fix it.
CCTV footage later showed Big leaving the house around 8:00 p.m. He arrived at the hut by motorcycle. As he approached, Mr Sangkom stepped from the shadows and shot him four times.
Big died on the spot.
After the ambush, the body was dumped near a stream and the killers rode away in separate directions
The pair used a stick to push the body out of the path and down toward the stream. Then they fled—each riding off on a separate motorcycle.
Back home, they waited in fear.
“I knew the police would come,” Mr Sangkom said. “I was ready for it.”
Meanwhile, Mrs Pensri refused to allow an autopsy. She didn’t want the police to remove the bullet for examination. This immediately raised suspicion.
Afterwards, police soon confirmed the sequence of events using CCTV, witness interviews, and phone records. On 16 May at 2:00 p.m., officers led all three suspects to the crime scene for a public reenactment.
Dozens of villagers came to watch. Many were stunned.
“Mr Som was always good to her children,” said Ms La, 58, a local resident. “We never saw anything like this coming.”
Another neighbour, Ms Joi, 61, added: “Big had been in trouble before, sure. But nobody told us he was hurting his mother. If we’d known, maybe we could have helped.”
Police say the killing was premeditated and a grim reflection of rural families broken by meth addiction
Police say this case highlights the deadly consequences of untreated addiction and broken family systems. Methamphetamine—known in Thailand as “ya ba”—remains a major scourge, especially in the Northeast. Thousands of families across Isaan battle similar problems in silence.
But this time, the silence turned fatal.
Investigators say the crime was premeditated and carefully carried out. Though the gunman claimed he acted out of pity, authorities see it differently.
“It was a calculated killing,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Sek San Ruewet, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation at Phen Police Station. “They planned it for days. They lured him in and shot him.”
He confirmed that charges against all three suspects include premeditated murder and conspiracy. The suspects remain in custody at Phen Police Station, where the case is being prepared for trial.
Police confirm bullet match as villagers debate morality and nationwide drug tragedy deepens further
Police also recovered the murder weapon. Ballistic tests later matched it to the bullets removed from the victim’s body during autopsy, which was eventually performed despite the mother’s protests.
While some villagers expressed sympathy for Mrs Pensri, many others were disturbed.
“Yes, the son was violent,” said one man who declined to be named. “But that doesn’t mean you get to kill him.”
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The case has certainly reignited calls for better drug rehabilitation and mental health services. In particular in poor rural provinces like Udon Thani. Families battling addiction often suffer alone, with no resources and little outside support.
For Mrs Pensri and her husband, years of fear ended with a single violent act. Mr Sangkom did a favour out of pity which turned into a murder charge. For Big, a life consumed by meth ended in bloodshed beside a rice field.
What remains is a community in shock—and a country still searching for answers to a crisis that keeps claiming lives.
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Further reading:
Outbound cannabis smuggling smashed by Chiang Mai police this week. Europe and London now targeted
Buriram cannabis factory raided for illegal Vietnamese staff as drugs czar declares a new regime
UK ambassador meets top Thai officials to hear about plans to rein in cannabis as smuggling surges
UK holiday maker to Thailand lands in Heathrow Airport London with £1 million worth of cannabis
Dark web Xanax counterfeiting gang managed from Thailand smashed in the UK with 10 people convicted
Unlikely rags to riches convict star arrested again in Thailand over online gambling promotion
