A grilled squid vendor who allegedly murdered and chopped up his girlfriend has been caught after a three-day manhunt.
Police escort 'Am' or Thani Phokaeo, 28, suspected of murdering his girlfriend, Somyot Namatsakan, to his apartment in Bang Na. Somchai Poomlard
Police named the man, earlier identified by his nickname "Am", as Thani Phokaeo, 28, after arresting him late on Sunday night at Pae Yim 2 restaurant on Somdet Phrachao Taksin Road in Bangkok's Chom Thong district.
Mr Thani, who has served previous time in prison for robbery, allegedly admitted to killing Somyot Namatsakan, 42, and dismembering her body out of anger that she was leaving him for another man, Provincial Police Region 1 commander Pol Lt Gen Amnuay Nimmano said yesterday.
Mr Thani allegedly told officers he "kicked Somyot to death". But Pol Lt Gen Amnuay said he was not convinced this was true and an autopsy will show the cause of death.
Somyot, who worked as a cook at a pub in the Kaset-Nawamin area, was last seen at Mr Thani's apartment on Soi Ja Soad 24 in the Bang Na area on Dec 7. She had told her friend she was going to visit her boyfriend to tell him she was leaving him.
Mr Thani, who had been in a relationship with Somyot for two years, allegedly killed her and cut up her body at his apartment that day.
Her body parts were then dumped at two sites in Samut Prakan's Muang district.
Her head was found near a jetty in Khlong Mahawong in tambon Samrong Tai on Dec 11, while other body parts were found near a petrol station in tambon Samrong Nuea.
An earlier police search of Mr Thani's apartment uncovered a blood-stained cleaver. Traces of blood were also found in the bathroom.
Experts matched the blood sample to Somyot. Police then asked the Criminal Court to issue a warrant for Mr Thani's arrest on Sunday.
Pol Lt Gen Amnuay said Mr Thani knew his girlfriend was about to leave him since police found an angry letter he wrote before the murder. They also found a drawing of how to dissect a corpse.
Police took Mr Thani to reenact the crime at the Bang Na apartment yesterday.
He allegedly told police he used the cleaver to chop up Somyot's body and put the parts into several bags.
He then got on his motorcycle and took some of the bags to an empty area behind a Shell petrol station in tambon Samrong Nuea.
He allegedly threw the rest of the bags into a canal in tambon Samrong Tai.
Police charged Mr Thani with murder and destroying a corpse to conceal his crime.