Phang Nga police arrest a 21-year-old in the grisly murder of a 51-year-old woman found chained and weighted with dumbbells near Ban Tha Yai pier. Suspect’s pickup truck seized as investigators hunt motive. Victim identified as Ms. Kansiri from northeastern Thailand.
Police in Phang-nga arrested a 21-year-old suspect after the gruesome discovery of a 51-year-old woman’s body last Friday. Her corpse was weighed down with dumbbells at a southern province pier. Authorities identified her as Ms. Kansiri from northeastern Thailand. On Tuesday, police seized a black pickup truck tied to the murder probe. The investigation is intensifying as detectives hunt for answers.
Royal Thai Police have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with a grisly murder in Phang Nga Province. The body of a woman was found weighted down with concrete dumbbells near Ban Tha Yai pier in Mueang district on August 8. Following a tip, police and rescue workers responded quickly after locals reported the shocking discovery.
The victim wore black shorts and a grey t-shirt. An iron chain wrapped tightly around her neck held two heavy concrete dumbbells. Police believe the weights were used to keep the body underwater and hidden. However, the body drifted close to shore, where it was discovered by fishermen.
Police Lieutenant Pheerawit Chaichanyut of Khok Kloi Police Station is leading the investigation. He said the victim had likely been dead for about two days before the discovery. Furthermore, he emphasised that the method of weighting the body suggested a deliberate attempt to conceal the crime.
Police identify the victim as Ms Kansiri and seize a pickup truck linked to the case in Phang Nga province
Initially, authorities struggled to identify the woman. However, forensic analysis and interviews later confirmed her identity as Ms. Kansiri, a 51-year-old from northeastern Thailand. She was working in Phuket at the time of her death. Investigators believe she was strangled before being dumped in the sea near Kok Kloi, Takua Thung District.
Following the discovery, police raided the suspect’s home in Kathu District, Phuket Province. Additionally, they searched another property in Ban Kalai, Takua Thung District, Phang Nga Province. During the raids, officers seized a black Isuzu pickup truck registered in Phang Nga.
Forensic experts examined the pickup truck for bloodstains and other evidence. Meanwhile, police reviewed CCTV footage from Phuket to Phang Nga. The footage showed a suspicious pickup truck travelling along the route. Moreover, the truck was seen dumping a body near Tha Nun before returning to Phuket.
The suspect was taken to Khok Kloi Police Station for questioning. Authorities are investigating the motive behind the murder and the connection between the victim and the suspect. Phang Nga Provincial Police Superintendent Pol. Col. Prawit Engchuan said they are examining all leads thoroughly. “We want to ensure justice for the victim,” he stated.
Forensic autopsy and community search underway as police link this case to a similar murder in Rayong
The victim’s body was sent for a full autopsy. Meanwhile, the forensic team will confirm the cause of death and whether she was alive when placed in the water. Police have not ruled out this hideous proposition but strongly suspect strangulation caused her death.
Furthermore, local community leaders and officials from neighbouring districts have been contacted. They are checking reports of missing persons matching the victim’s description. Police urge anyone with information to come forward immediately. Such cooperation is vital to solving the case.
This murder bears similarities to a case in Rayong Province earlier this year. At length, in February, a decomposed woman’s body was found inside a locked suitcase weighted down with two 10-kilogram dumbbells. The fisherman who found the suitcase near Khlong Phayun noticed a strong foul odour. However, the victim’s identity remains unknown due to decomposition.
The Phang Nga murder has alarmed local residents, who are cooperating closely with police. As a result, authorities have increased patrols around Ban Tha Yai pier and surrounding waterways. According to Pol. Lt. Pheerawit, “We want to prevent such violent crimes and assure the public’s safety.”
Public cooperation and increased patrols aim to prevent further crimes in Phang Nga province
As the investigation continues, police remind the public to report suspicious activity or vehicles near local waterways. Every detail, no matter how small, could help solve this chilling crime. Therefore, community vigilance is critical.
The murder of Ms. Kansiri has shocked the local area and raised concerns about violent crime. Police vow to bring those responsible to justice swiftly and transparently. Meanwhile, investigators are reportedly working around the clock on this case with all agencies involved.
Key facts include the victim, Ms. Kansiri, 51, from northeastern Thailand but working in Phuket. The body was discovered on August 8, 2025, near Ban Tha Yai pier in Mueang district, Phang Nga Province. The cause of death was strangulation. The body was weighted down with an iron chain and concrete dumbbells.
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The suspect, a 21-year-old male, is now in custody. Authorities seized a black Isuzu pickup truck for forensic analysis. The investigation is led by Phang Nga Provincial Police and Khok Kloi Police Station, supported by the Region 8 Investigation Unit.
The victim was found with an iron chain tightening around her neck, dragged to the bottom by heavy concrete dumbbells. Despite the attempt to hide her, her body washed back to the shore. The 21-year-old now faces intense questioning, but the motive remains unclear. This brutal act has shattered a family and shocked the wider community. Police say an intense investigation is ongoing.
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Further reading:
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Sadistic murderer ‘Ice Metal Casket’ sentenced for rape of a woman at gunpoint in latest conviction
