Police in Oman have confirmed a burnt body found on a mountain on Saturday is that of a Thai woman who went missing over three months ago, another Thai woman living in the Arab country claimed on Monday.
Athitiya: Last seen alive in November
The dead woman -- Athitiya "Mind" Wilachan, 29 -- was confirmed to be a murder victim, with her identity being verified through DNA testing, said the Thai woman, who is married to an Omani police officer and goes on Facebook by the name Khadeeja Madamoman Alhashmi.
Ms Khadeeja said in her social media post that after learning about the disappearance of Athitiya, she asked her husband to help investigate the case and coordinate with the local police.
She, along with Athitiya's friends and some concerned netizens, had gathered information and tip-offs and provided them to the police.
The police investigation led to the discovery of Athitiya's remains on a mountain near Salahla, Oman's largest city. The search for Athitiya, a native of Lampang's Mae Mo district who moved to Oman in 2020, began after friends said they could not contact her for three months.
Her parents and friends filed a complaint with the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women last week, seeking help from the authorities to locate her and bring her home.
According to them, Athitiya went to work in a restaurant in Oman in 2020 and soon moved in with her boyfriend, a Bangladesh national.
She often communicated with friends via online channels and posted pictures on social media. However, she never revealed the face of her boyfriend.
In October, she posted a picture of herself on a hospital bed, telling friends her boyfriend had physically attacked her.
A friend later saw Athitiya in her apartment in November. The victim had bruises all over her body and could barely talk, they said. No one was able to contact or see her after that.
Athitiya's friends took the matter to social media before the family filed a missing person with the Pavena Foundation.
Additional findings showed that her boyfriend was involved in the illicit drug trade. He was arrested two weeks ago.