One of two suspects arrested in connection with the June 29 murder of entertainment tycoon Somyos Suthangkura, 62, has a long history of run-ins with the law, police say.
Chom Chainarong, 53, alias Ajarn, was apprehended in Phetchaburi province shortly after the arrest of Phanuphong Rasana, 32, the alleged gunman who was detained by police officers on Soi Charan Sanitwong 35 late on Monday afternoon.
The two suspects were brought to a press conference at the Royal Thai Police head office Thursday where they confessed to being involved in the murder.
Chom confessed to ordering Mr Phanuphong to kill the tycoon who was gunned down while he and his wife, Rasami Suthangkura, were leaving a Chinese restaurant in Bangkok's Suan Luang district on June 29, police said.
Mr Phanuphong admitted to shooting Somyos in the restaurant's car park.
He allegedly shot Somyos four times -- twice in the back, once in the face and once in the head after Chom had given him a bag containing cash, a .38 revolver and a photo of Somyos. He claimed he was taken to the restaurant by motorcycle.
Pol Maj Gen Akradej Pimolsri, commander of the Crime Suppression Division, said Chom was hired to put together a murder team for one million baht and he was paid 100,000 baht.
The mastermind, who has not yet been identified, claimed Somyos owed him millions of baht.
He said police found Chom had been convicted for several crimes in the past including involvement in the 1994 kidnapping, torture and violent murders of the wife and son of jewellery merchant Santi Sritanakhan, killings that shocked the nation.
Those murders, on the orders of then-police commissioner Chalor Kerdthes, exposed further details of the theft of the Saudi jewels five years earlier.
Chalor was arrested four months later, tried and finally sentenced to 50 years in prison of which he served 19. He had ordered the killers, supposedly including Darawadee and Seri Sritanakhan killed, and attempted to make the murders look like a road accident, while supposedly attempting to learn the whereabouts of Santi, who handled some of the stolen gems.
The suspect was also convicted of being involved in several abduction and murder cases in Sa Kaeo and other crimes in Prachin Buri, he said.
Mr Phanuphong allegedly told police he received 300,000 baht to kill Somyos whom he did not know personally.
Police have yet to retrieve the murder weapon. After the murder, Mr Phanuphong allegedly threw the gun into the Chao Phraya River and went into hiding in Bangkok's Nong Khaem district.
Three other warrants have been issued for Mr Phanuphong for theft and narcotics charges.
According to the CSD commander, Chom and Mr Phanuphong are two of five suspects in the case.
The other three suspects who are still at large are a motorcycle driver known by his nickname of Noo, Kritsada Jai-aim, and the mastermind.
Mr Kritsada is implicated as the person who initially hired Mr Phanuphong to collect a large debt from Somyos.
However, the mastermind allegedly changed his mind suddenly telling Chom to instruct Mr Phanuphong to kill Somyos in return for 300,000 baht.