A 39-year-old man arrested in Sakhon Nakhon for the murder of a young woman in a Pattaya apartment room has admitted he killed her over a 30,000 baht debt, according to police.

The woman died from multiple stab wounds.

Police arrested Watcharaphon Onsongkhram, 39, in Sakhon Nakhon province on Tuesday evening.

His arrest followed the discovery of the body of a woman identified only as Rattana, 32, in an apartment room in Soi Buakhao in Pattaya on Saturday.

She had 11 stab wounds about her face, neck and shoulders, police said.

Police said on Wednesday the suspect admitted to having killed the woman.

He allegedly told police he had argued with her over a 30,000 baht debt he said she owed him. The woman had refused to repay the money and had scolded him.

He became angry and used his hands to cover her mouth and then grab her by the throat. The woman fought back and bit his hand.

During the fight, they broke a large picture frame, shattering the glass cover. Ms Rattana used a piece of the broken glass to attack him, he said.

He retaliated, stabbing her with a piece of broken glass 3 or 4 times, in the neck and shoulders, until she collapsed, he said, according to police.

He said he had previously been romantically involved with the woman.