PATTAYA, THAILAND – A convicted thief led cops straight to the bodies of two Russian siblings buried one metre deep in a forest. Then he dropped a bombshell – he killed a whole family too.
Thana Kerdthong, 43, nicknamed “Pong”, confessed to murdering Diana, 22, and Roman, 17, Nazimova on the night of July 26. Five days later, on August 1, he took investigators to the grave near kilometre marker 139 on the Bangkok–Map Ta Phut motorway in Tambon Huai Yai.
Chased for a motorbike, then killed
The siblings left their home in Bristol Park Village, Huai Yai, on a motorbike around 4am on July 26. They never returned. CCTV showed a second motorbike tailing them. The last image, at 4:33am, captured them at a traffic light under a highway bridge in Ban Sak Ngaeo. Diana had just texted her mother:
URGENT!!
said police reports. The GPS signal died minutes later.
Under interrogation, Pong and his accomplice Thongchai Srinil, 39, called “Thong”, admitted they chased the siblings to steal the bike. When Diana and Roman resisted, the men killed them. Roman was shot dead. Diana was beaten to death. They buried the bodies in the forest and dismantled the motorbike, hiding the parts under soil at an old cemetery in Huai Yai.
Motorbike parts found, manhunt begins
Residents found the chopped-up black-grey Honda ADV, licence plate 4กษ 6379 Chonburi, near Thung Luang cemetery on July 29. The plates had been cut up. More than 200 officers from Huai Yai police, Pattaya tourist police and Chonburi immigration scoured the area with K9 units from Bangkok and divers. Russian volunteers, coordinated by Svetlana Sherstoboeva, joined the search.
Police quickly identified Pong and Thong as suspects. Both had prior convictions and had just been released from jail. On the night of July 30, the pair slipped through a cordon of over 200 officers – hiding under a tarp on a sidecar vehicle, wearing police-style uniforms. They rammed a checkpoint in Chanthaburi province and fled toward Sa Kaeo, aiming for the Cambodian border.
Arrested with hand grenades and a pistol
Police caught up on July 31 in Wang Sombun district. Thong was captured after a foot chase through the jungle. Pong was arrested near a hospital – carrying two hand grenades and a .38-calibre pistol.
Both confessed on the day of arrest. Pong then led police and forensics to the burial site: a wooded hill near the motorway, km marker 139, Moo 11, Tambon Huai Yai, near Wat Yansangwararam. Media outlet Khaosod confirmed the bodies were found, buried one metre deep. Autopsies are pending.
Pong claimed the motive was a planned motorbike robbery. He explicitly denied allegations of sexual assault that had circulated on social media. Police are investigating.
Bombshell confession: three more victims
During further questioning, Pong dropped a second confession. According to Thai media reports, he admitted killing three members of a family in late June – a separate case that had been filed as a missing person report on July 7. Relatives had reported them missing without any clue to their fate.
Pong said he and accomplices, dressed in police-style uniforms, appeared at the family’s door claiming to collect a debt. They handcuffed the father, mother and child, drove them to a coconut plantation in Bang Lamung, shot each victim one by one, and dumped the bodies into a common grave. Pong led investigators to the site. The bodies were exhumed and identified.
More suspects, more cases
Two other men, identified in Thai media only as “Ball” and “Fluke”, are alleged to have taken part in the June murders. That would bring the group to at least four: Pong, Thong, Ball and Fluke.
Police Region 2 said Pong and his group are being investigated in at least two to three other cases with a similar pattern. No details were given. None of the suspects have been formally charged yet.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Chatchai Surachetpong urged caution:
The information about the June case comes from Pong’s confession and still needs to be fully verified.
said the senior officer. If all allegations prove true, the group killed at least five people in a matter of weeks – and may be linked to a wider series of similar crimes.
Mother waits to bring children home
Sarina Nazimova, 40, has lived in Thailand since 2018. She brought her children Diana and Roman to Huai Yai in 2021. The Russian embassy in Bangkok was involved from the start and will now arrange repatriation of the bodies.
Two other men – “Sua Hoi” and “Phang” – were arrested on July 30 but deny any involvement. Investigations continue.
Editor’s note: Details about Ball, Fluke and additional similar cases come from Thai-language media reports and have not been officially confirmed by police. The sequence and location of the second murder are based on the suspect’s confession. This article will be updated as verified information emerges.