The cash reward for evidence leading to the arrest of the person who murdered a Japanese woman in Sukhothai province in 2007 is expected to be increased from 1.6 million baht to 2 million baht.
Japanese ambassador Shiro Sadoshima on Thursday took the victim's father, Yasuaki Kawashita, to meet Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong to ask about the progress of the investigation.
Eleven years after the murder of Tomoko Kawashita, aged 27, her killer remains unknown.
She arrived in Thailand alone from Osaka and went to Sukhothai for the Loy Krathong festival. Loy Krathong day was Nov 24, 2007, and she was found stabbed to death in Sukhothai Historical Park the following day. A rented bicycle was beside her body.
ACM Prajin said the victim's family was worried that after so long there was still no clear progress. The family had asked authorities to increase the cash reward for evidence leading to the killer’s arrest, Thai media reported.
Earlier, the offered reward had been set at 1.6 million baht - 100,000 baht from local police, 500,000 baht from the Royal Thai Police Office and one million baht form the Department of Special Investigation, ACM Prajin said.
The team handling the case would meet to consider increasing the DSI's contribution by 400,000 baht, so the reward would be 2 million baht, the deputy prime minister said.
He gave an assurance the government would consistently follow up the case and assist the investigation. Mr Kawashita said he was worried the 20-year statute of limitations in the case would expire without an arrest. There had been little progress over the past 11 years.
He appealed to Thai authorities to urgently bring his daughter's murderer to justice.