NAKHON RATCHASIMA - A tanker driver was found dead in his truck with his throat cut and some of his cargo of mixed fuels missing on a road in Pak Thong Chai district on Wednesday morning.
A tanker driver was found dead in this truck. It was suspected that he was killed after been forced to transfer gasoline to robbers.
Police called to the scene about 10.30am said the tanker, with a capacity of 32,000 litres, was parked on the side of Kabinburi-Nakhon Ratchasima Road.
The body of Rakchai Hadkham, 48, was found in the passenger seat. His throat had been slit open.
A doctor from Pak Thong Chai hospital estimated he had been dead for at least 10 hours before being found.
Rakchai, a resident of Si Sa Ket province, worked as a tanker driver for Thongchai Petroleum Co in Si Sa Ket. He was delivering diesel, petrol and gasohol, with a combined cargo of 32,000 litres, from a tank farm in Saraburi to customers in Si Sa Ket.
Pol Col Wanat Atthakawin, deputy superintendent of Nakhon Ratchasima police station, said about 2,100 litres of fuel was missing from the tanker.
However, it was not clear whether the motive was robbery, or a personal conflict. Police tended to believe robbery.
He said it was possible a gang had followed the vehicle, then forced Rakchai to transfer some of the fuel to the robbers, who then killed him.