Police have launched a manhunt for a Chinese national who they believe is responsible for the death of a 22-year-old Thai woman at a hotel in Bangkok's Bang Kapi district last week.
Deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB), Pol Maj Gen Noppasin Poonsawat, said investigators had been instructed by MPB commissioner Pol Lt Gen Sayam Boonsom to expedite the probe into the suspicious death of the woman, identified only as "Airada".
According to an initial police probe, Airada was hired through a modelling agency to entertain a Chinese client, identified only as "Duoying". They learned the agency's models are often expected to take drugs during their time with their clients.
CCTV footage from the hotel showed the man checking in at 11.16pm on Feb 9. Airada was seen entering the man's room at 2.52am, but at 6.16am, the man was seen leaving the hotel room without her. No one else was seen coming in or out of the room.
A few hours later, hotel staff found Airada lifeless inside the room and alerted Chokchai police. Responding officers found no visible sign of injury or a physical struggle on the victim's body.
Pol Lt Gen Sayam had ordered investigators to speed up the probe and promised to deliver justice for the victim’s family, said Pol Maj Gen Noppasin, adding any officer found to be covering up or aiding the suspect will face strict disciplinary action and prosecution.
Authorities have questioned several witnesses in relation to the death and carried out forensic analysis at the crime scene. The owner of the modelling agency will also be summoned for questioning, he said.
Pay-off attempt
Police have also sought a warrant for the arrest of the Chinese citizen on charges of reckless endangerment causing death. Police are actively tracking his whereabouts and have alerted immigration authorities to be on the lookout for the suspect at all border checkpoints.
One of the dead woman's friends said Airada had never used drugs or taken modelling jobs in the past. The view was echoed by Airada's sister, who also claimed there have been efforts to get her family to drop the case in exchange for financial compensation.
She said an agent claiming to be from the modelling agency had contacted her on several occasions, saying the Chinese client was willing to pay 100,000 baht to cover her funeral expenses. The agent then raised the offer to 200,000 baht, which the family promptly rejected, she said.
However, the attempts didn't stop there, as a man claiming to be a police officer then contacted the family and urged them to accept a 500,000-baht compensation offer, she said.
When she learned the modelling agency was connected to a police officer, she decided to go public with the case, out of fear the case would not be investigated properly.