Chalor Kerdthes, the ex-police commissioner convicted for murder in connection with the high-profile Saudi royal jewellery theft case almost three decades ago, passed away on Friday at the age of 85.
His death was recorded at Maharaj Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima at 4.54pm. The cause was heart failure.
Born on Aug 28, 1938 in Bangkok, Chalor was the child of Lt Col Chaem and Thongkum Kedthes. He graduated from the 15th class of the Royal Police Cadet Academy before working in the police station.
He was promoted to Deputy Commander of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and then the commander of Phitsanulok Provincial Police Station.
Chalor’s highest position was that of Royal Thai Police Department Chief, holding the rank of Police Lieutenant General (Pol Lt Gen).
He was also a national football team manager and the chairman of the National Football Association.
He first became a public figure when he took part as an investigator in "The Blue Diamond Affair", the name given to the 1989 stolen Saudi jewellery case.
He and seven other people were charged in 1993 with malfeasance and conspiracy to steal the missing Saudi royal jewels, with abuse of authority, after being implicated in the abduction of gems trader Santi Srithanakhan and the abduction and murder of Santi's wife and son.
In 2006, the Appeals Court sentenced him to death. He was earlier given life imprisonment by the Criminal Court and stripped of his police rank.
The sentence was reduced to life imprisonment after receiving a royal pardon in 2010, and cut to 50 years in 2011.
He was released from Central Prison in 2013 after his sentence was suspended due to his paralysis.
Chalor was married to Surang Phonlasup, and they had three children.