All three suspects charged with murder of Brit, Thai wife

All three suspects charged with murder of Brit, Thai wife

Police interrogate one of the three suspects involved in the murder of a British millionaire and his Thai wife in Phrae. All suspects, including the woman's elder brother, are caught and charged with premeditated murder. (Photo by Taweeporn Sukkasem)
Police interrogate one of the three suspects involved in the murder of a British millionaire and his Thai wife in Phrae. All suspects, including the woman's elder brother, are caught and charged with premeditated murder. (Photo by Taweeporn Sukkasem)

PHRAE: Three men, including the suspected mastermind, involved in the murder of a British retiree and his Thai wife in this northern province have been charged with premeditated murder. The suspects include the wife’s elder brother.

Pia Khamsai, aka “Sua Thong’’, 63, and Kittipong Khamwan, 24, both from Wang Chin district, were arrested on Monday. They admitted to having colluded in the killing of Alan Hogg, the 64-year-old retiree, and his wife Nod Suddaen, 61, at the couple’s home in Muang district.

The duo implicated Warut Satchaikit, Nod’s elder brother, in the double murder. Mr Warut was caught today, said Pol Lt Gen Poonsap Prasertsak, commander of Provincial Police Region 5, during a media conference on Tuesday.

The three suspects have been charged with colluding in the premeditated murder.

Police found the bodies of the couple Tuesday morning after Mr Pia and Mr Kittipong confessed to the murder and claimed the wife's elder brother paid them 50,000 baht to kill them. The couple went missing on Sept 18.

Alan Hogg and his wife Nod Suddaen. (Photo by Taweeporn Sukkasem)

Their bodies were found buried two metres deep near a creek running through their large property in Muang district after the excavation on the previous day of 1m deep found nothing, said Pol Lt Gen Poonsap. 

Relatives of the couple identified the bodies, which were later sent to Phrae Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

Police further interrogated Mr Pia and Mr Kittipong. Mr  Pia confessed he had used a shotgun to shoot Mr Hogg in the chest while the victim was going to feed his ducks. The Briton died on the spot. 

The two suspects accused Mr Warut of colluding in killing his younger sister. Mr Kittipong had reportedly held the woman while Mr Warut allegedly hit her head with a wrench he took from her garage until she died.  

The three suspects then took the bodies to their land plot near the creek. They then used a backhoe Mr Hogg used for farming to dig a hole and bury them.

After that, Mr Warut drove the two other suspects to Wang Chin district in the same province and gave them 50,000 baht. Mr Warut then returned to Muang district to take the couple’s Ford pickup truck for sale, said Pol Lt Gen Poonsap.

During the interrogation, all but Mr Warut confessed to the charges, said Pol Lt Gen Poonsap.

According to the police, Mr Warut had persuaded his younger sister and her husband to live in Thailand so she could stay close to relatives. The couple had initially planned to live in Spain. But after that, he and the couple had frequently quarrelled and Nod often sided with her husband, antagonising her brother. 

He denied killing them but police suspected the growing resentment might have been the motive.

Police and rescue workers dig deeper on the couple's land and find their bodies about two metres deep next to a creek. (Photo by Taweeporn Sukkasem)

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