A former illegal overseas migrant worker has been placed on suicide watch after being arrested for killing his 10-year-old daughter at a resort in Uttaradit, police said on Thursday.

Sitthanan (surname not given), 25, was caught on Wednesday while on the run after murdering his daughter, Koi, on Monday.

Police said Mr Sitthanan confessed to the killing, saying he had been under pressure from having gone overseas to work illegally and being deported back to Thailand.

The illegal employment resulted in a large amount of debt, which he was unable to repay. Believing there was no way out of his financial predicament, he decided to kill his daughter and then himself.

However, when the time came, he became fearful about killing himself.

Police have been keeping watch on Mr Sitthanan around the clock as he is thought to be a suicide risk.

According to police, Mr Sitthanan had planned the murder for at least two days before taking Koi from his parents’ home in Laplae district to a resort in Muang district.

There, Mr Sitthanan smothered his daughter with a pillow before cutting her wrists.

He then fled on a motorcycle to Tha Pla, where police caught him.