A jealous Thai man fatally stabbed a Chinese national on Saturday, August 8, after seeing him with his girlfriend in their shared room in Pattaya. The victim’s family later protested outside Pattaya Provincial Court, calling for stronger safety measures for foreign nationals and further investigation into the case.
The fatal stabbing occurred at around 7.30am at a three-storey accommodation in Na Jomtien subdistrict. Rescue workers were called to the scene and attempted to provide first aid to the Chinese national, identified as 20 year old Cao Ke.
Cao was reportedly the son of a Chinese businessman who owned a luxury yacht docked off Pattaya. He had suffered a fatal stab wound to the right side of his chest and two cut wounds to his right arm. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 21 year old Thai woman, identified as Kanyarat, was also at the accommodation and was reported to work in a business connected with yachts.
Kanyarat sustained an injury to her left hand and had bloodstains on her clothing and body. She reportedly declined to discuss the incident with rescue workers and asked for privacy while contacting her boyfriend, 20 year old Thanachot Sriphet, who was later identified as the suspect.
Thanachot was receiving treatment at Wat Yanasangwararam Hospital for an injury to his stomach when he contacted police and offered to surrender. Officers subsequently went to the hospital and took him into custody.
During questioning, Thanachot told police that he had gone to the accommodation intending to take a shower before travelling to university. He said he urgently needed to use the bathroom and entered the room with a key.
Thanachot said the door was secured with a safety latch, so he called for Kanyarat, who told him to wait. Kanyarat claimed she was changing clothes before opening the door several minutes later.
Thanachot went directly to the bathroom and found Cao hiding inside. He asked Kanyarat and Cao to explain what had happened before taking a knife and threatening Cao.
The suspect told police that he intended only to threaten Cao and make him explain the situation. He claimed Cao then fought back and attempted to take the knife, resulting in a physical struggle between the two men.
Thanachot reportedly said he did not know at what point Cao was stabbed. After realising that Cao had been injured, he said he left the accommodation before contacting his mother, who advised him to surrender to police.
Cao’s family staged a protest outside Pattaya Provincial Court on Sunday, August 10, with a woman believed to be his mother seen crying.
Other relatives carried signs in Chinese, Thai and English calling on the Thai government to give greater attention to the personal and property safety of foreign nationals in Thailand.
One sign stated, “We earnestly request that the Thai government attach great importance to the personal and property safety of foreign nationals in Thailand.” Another sign called for the suspect to receive severe punishment over what the family described as an intentional murder.
The family also called for police to investigate why Cao had gone to the accommodation to meet Kanyarat. They cited information from Cao’s friends, who said a woman had repeatedly contacted Cao by phone and video calls before he left his friends during dinner.
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