Phuket, Thailand – A 59-year-old man died after being assaulted in an apartment in Phuket when his partner’s ex-husband forced entry, police said.
Fatal attack at home
Police were called to a flat in Wichit district at about 18:30 on October 14 after neighbours reported a violent disturbance. Officers found the victim, identified as 59-year-old Mr. Worapong, unconscious in the residence. He was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital by municipal rescue teams but died of his injuries soon after arrival.
Authorities said the suspect, named as Mr. Praphan, had forced his way into the home of his former wife, Ms. Pornphat, and began a violent confrontation. According to witnesses and police accounts, Praphan initially attacked Ms. Pornphat and attempted to strangle her. When her new partner, Worapong, intervened, investigators said the ex-husband beat him until he lost consciousness.
Neighbours described the scene as a sudden escalation. One neighbour said Worapong was a “polite man, who had only recently moved in” and that residents had at first assumed the shouting was a normal marital dispute.
Flight and arrest
After the assault, the suspect fled the scene on a motorcycle. Police said he apparently used a spare key belonging to his ex-wife to take the vehicle.
A police team led by Police Colonel Somsak Thongklieng tracked the suspect down the following day. He was arrested at a bus stop close to the Phuket City Police station on Yaowarat Road, less than 24 hours after the attack, the police reported.
Motive and prosecution
Ms. Pornphat told investigators that her former husband had been stalking her for some time and had followed her to the apartment on the night of the attack. She said the assault began after she confronted him and that her new partner stepped in to protect her.
Police have said jealousy appears to be the clear motive for the killing. Mr. Praphan was taken into custody and faces murder charges; investigators are collecting further evidence before submitting the case to the public prosecutor.
Broader concerns over domestic violence
Officials noted the incident as a stark example of how quickly domestic disputes can turn deadly. Experts often cite jealousy as a common motive in relationship-related homicides, and this case underscores those warnings.
For the family of the victim, the attack has brought a sudden tragedy. Worapong had recently entered retirement and had only just moved into the flat with Ms. Pornphat. Police said the investigation was ongoing and that they would present their findings to prosecutors in the coming days.