The poor family of a Thai woman from the northeastern province of Surin who was murdered in Portugal last month is calling for help with the cost of bringing her body back home.
Natchaya: Sent money home to family
The woman, identified as Natchaya Saranyaphat, was murdered on March 7 by a Thai woman and possibly her husband, according to Portuguese media.
Local media reported that a woman's head had been found on Leça da Palmeira beach in Matosinhos on March 7.
Another Thai, Sangam Sawaiprkhon, was later arrested in Portugal and reportedly admitted killing Natchaya over a disagreement about €10,000 (358,000 baht) they had jointly invested in a massage shop there, according to the reports.
The mother of the victim, Soei Jenjob, 76, said Natchaya was the youngest of her five children.
Her daughter had been working in Portugal and sending home between 5,000 and 6,000 baht a month, Mrs Soei said, adding the family had relied heavily on that money.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Busadee Santipitaks said they had received a report from the Royal Thai embassy in Lisbon and Portuguese police about the murder and the arrest of a Thai suspect. "The case is under investigation," she said.
An aunt of the victim said the family was devastated by the loss of Natchaya but did not have enough money to bring her body back to Thailand for funeral rites.