Parking lot fling, crash damages mount, red knickers alert

Fling helps herself to assets

The elderly father of a man who died in mysterious circumstances after meeting his fling in a parking lot has appealed to police to take a deeper look at the case.

Suang Pakkaro, 97, asked the Crime Suppression Division police earlier this month to reopen the probe into the death of his son, Narong, 54, from Prathai district in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Narong, a keen jogger, died on Feb 1 after meeting his lover outside the district office. Police say Narong's autopsy found he died when his blood circulation and breathing systems failed, brought on high blood pressure which triggered a heart attack.

However, some family members harbour doubts about his death, as the woman he was secretly seeing took his gold jewellery hours before he died and pawned it at a shop in Buri Ram.

Narong's body was found face down in the front passenger seat of his Toyota Fortuner the day after he met his woman friend, "B", whose name has not been disclosed. B was described in media reports as a company director in financial trouble.

Narong met B at the outstanding claims department of an agricultural cooperative in Chum Phuang district where he works. The two struck up a relationship which was to last over two years.

Police say he would offer B financial advice. On the afternoon he died, Narong took that a step further, supposedly giving B his gold jewellery to help with her financial problems.

The two met at the car park, their usual rendezvous, at midday and went off in Narong's car to attend to private business, B told police later.

At 2pm, after they returned, Narong said he was feeling tired and asked to sleep it off in his vehicle. He supposedly gave her his gold necklace and a gold ring, which together were to raise 149,598 baht at the pawn shop.

B drove alone in her own vehicle to Buri Ram to cash in the items and use the money to buy back a phone she had pawned earlier. At 5pm, she drove back to Nakhon Ratchasima, arriving at the car park about 7pm when she found Narong still asleep in his vehicle.

B said when she went to greet Narong he gave her a hand signal meaning she should head straight home, which she did. B insists that when she left the scene, Narong was still alive. Narong's family reported him missing, and locals found his body in the vehicle the next afternoon. It was unlocked, and one window slightly ajar.

He was found with bruising to his throat, though doctors who examined the body say that might stem from his heart attack. "He would have run out of air and thrashed about inside the vehicle to save himself," police told the media as they explained their finding of death by natural causes.

Police started piecing together the timeline after tracking down B, who was the last person to call him on his phone. Two days after his body was found, they called in B to meet Narong's widow, Wanwisa, 57.

Ms Wanwisa said when police told her another woman was involved she was shocked. "I find it hard to believe as we were together 26 years. His behaviour never suggested he would do such a thing. We will have to wait for the full results of the autopsy as to whether he was poisoned," she said, adding another layer of mystery to the saga.

B agreed to pay back 200,000 baht of the money raised from pawning Narong's jewellery.

On April 1, the dead man's father, Mr Suang, accompanied by celebrity lawyer Ronnarong Kaewpetch, went to see CSD chief Pol Maj Gen Suwat Saengnum, asking for fuller disclosure.

Wichan Yaemsri, 72, the dead man's brother in law, said Mr Suang was terribly upset by his son's death.

"He wants to know why police let rescue workers take the body to the hospital when medics had yet to arrive, and why the woman director did not take Narong to hospital if he was feeling unwell. Or perhaps she wanted him to die so she could then take his valuables?" he asked.

Narong was attached to the jewellery he supposedly gave B, especially the gold Buddha amulet he wore, and would not have parted with it easily.

The family wanted to know where the amulet is, and if it is still at the pawn shop. "His wife bought it for him, and she is sure he would not have harmed her feelings by giving it to someone else," he said.

Police last week released audio taken from a camera in Narong's vehicle. He can be heard snoring as he was resting, which they say provides further proof that he died alone. The case continues.

Drink driver faces steep bill

A drink driver who lost control of his vehicle, killing a young motorcyclist in the opposite lane in a horrific accident in Samut Sakhon late last month is facing a steep damages claim from the victim's mother.

A 13-second video clip taken from CCTV cameras shows a pickup truck suddenly veering across the road and hitting an oncoming motorcycle, pinning it against the iron gate of a shophouse.

Kotong Saibut, 40, is demanding 1.5 million in compensation for the death of her son, Natthapong "Game" Saengkla, who was driving the bike.

The accident occurred on March 27 on Phutthamonthon Sai 4 Road. She said Game was her only son and the family's main provider.

The driver, Jakkrit Kongsuwan, 33, who admits he was drunk, has offered initial restitution payments to those involved, but admits he will have trouble finding the sums demanded.

A friend of Game's, Urachet "Tear" Phakdee, was travelling as his pillion passenger. The two were heading home to Sin Somboon village after visiting a convenience store about 1am when the truck suddenly crossed the lane and hit them, he said. Tear suffered a split head, punctured lung and bruising over his body but has since been released from hospital.

Tear was thrown onto the top of the pickup, while Game was trapped underneath the vehicle, pinned against the iron fence of a shophouse. The young man suffered a burst lung, two broken legs, and broken ribs in the accident and died later in hospital.

The shophouse owners called for help. While they were waiting for rescue workers to arrive they filmed the grisly scene on their phones. Game's legs are seen protruding from under the vehicle, which has crashed into the iron fence.

Driver Mr Jakkrit, who is bare-chested after he took off his shirt following the accident, is seen trying to pull the lad's legs out from under the vehicle. The young man screams in agony before Mr Jakkrit abandons the attempt.

Surapol Bangluang 54, and Ratri Saenkwa, 48, owners of the rice porridge shop, said they were heading to bed when they heard the vehicle hitting the fence.

"The young man was trapped under the vehicle, groaning and complaining that he could not breathe. But he still bravely asked how his friend was doing. He was unconscious on the bonnet of the pickup," they said.

After sending Tear to hospital, rescue workers had to clear the debris before they could prise Game from under the truck.

Mr Jakkrit, who comes from the area, met the families of the young men involved and offered an apology. He also admitted he was drunk, with media reports suggesting he vomited down his front in the seconds before the crash, leading him to lose control of the vehicle.

Hospital workers who treated the young men alerted Krathum Baen police to their suspicions that Mr Jakkrit was under the influence. He was held in custody overnight and released the next day.

Mr Jakkrit paid an initial 30,000 baht to help with Game's funeral expenses; his mother said the bill actually came to 120,000 baht, which she had to borrow from friends. Ms Kotong said she is unwell, suffering from kidney and thyroid problems and lupus disease.

Game, a part-time vocational student who had entered the workforce and paid his own upkeep and study costs, helped support the family, she said. She had asked for 1.5 million in lieu of the income he might have earned to keep the family going.

The shophouse owners said Mr Jakkrit had given them 5,000 baht towards the damages, which would reach 8,000 baht.

Tear said his parents had agreed damages of 40,000 baht with Mr Jakkrit but he wanted the driver to focus on helping Game's family as he feels sorry for his friend.

"Game was staying with me the day of the accident. He was a good guy and never caused trouble for anyone," he said.

Pol Col Pipop Phacharaphat, head of Krathum Baen police, said police have yet to lay charges as they are waiting for the results of Mr Jakkrit's blood alcohol test.

Panties tame the gods

Phetchabun locals are standing by their belief that erecting a pair of red panties on a bamboo pole helps ward off rain.

An ordination ceremony where the red knickers were the star attraction passed without incident early this month despite forecasts of stormy weather, they said, as they thanked the god of rain for paying attention to their plight.

Sompong Laklee, 47, from Wang Pong district, said her son and two relatives were ordained in a tent outside their home on April 3.

The village had been lashed by heavy rain and strong winds for days and she was worried the bad weather would cause the event to fold.

Elders reminded her of a local belief that if a widow erects a pair of red panties on a bamboo pole, much like a red flag warding off storms, the god of rain might be persuaded to spare them his wrath.

Urai Prathumchai, 38, a widow, was roped into buying a pair of red lace knickers which she hoisted aloft a bamboo pole. As she erected the talisman, she prayed aloud: "Please let there be no rain".

"At first we put the pole beside the tent but we moved it to the front of the house because we were worried people might get upset by the sight of the knickers there," she said later. The god of rain must have seen it, she said, because he kept the storms away.

Sumalee Seeklum, 69, grandmother to the three youngsters who were ordained, said some locals also believe that if you plant a lemongrass tree and have it pointing towards the sky, it will have the same effect.

"However, I couldn't get it planted on time because of the wind. The sky was dark and wind was blowing strongly, forcing guests to clutch onto the tent.

"But after we put the knickers up the sky suddenly cleared, and the rain and wind left the scene," she said.

"When the ceremony was finished and we brought the knickers down, the skies opened and the rain came pouring down instantly," she said, saying she was in two minds whether to believe in the superstition.