KHON KAEN, THAILAND – A 54-year-old police lieutenant shot and killed his ex-wife in a restaurant in Phra Yuen district and then called officers to arrest him.
Shooting in a restaurant in Phra Yuen
The killing took place in the evening at a grilled-meat restaurant in Phra Yuen district, Khon Kaen province. The officer, identified in reports as Tschutschat, went there to meet his former wife, Pattaja. The 50-year-old victim was known in the area as the head of a village.
Pattaja died of her injuries at the scene. Rescue workers who arrived shortly after the shooting were unable to save her. Police secured the restaurant and immediately opened an investigation.
Perpetrator turned himself in
According to the reports, Tschutschat did not leave the restaurant after the shooting. Instead, he called his colleagues himself to report the incident. He waited for the arriving officers and offered no resistance when he was arrested, and the responsible local station took over the investigation.
The suspect was brought before the court in Khon Kaen the following Monday. He made no public statements as he was taken into court custody. Relatives visited him shortly before the hearing.
Confession and motive
During his first interrogation, Tschutschat gave what police described as a full confession. As the background to the killing, he cited an ongoing dispute over shared debts since their divorce a year earlier, as well as jealousy over his ex-wife’s new relationship.
According to the lead investigator, the suspect was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crime. The prosecutor’s office was reviewing possible charges, including intentional homicide. A conviction for such an offence can carry the maximum penalty in Thailand.
Family reaction
Relatives of the accused visited him before his court appearance. His uncle told reporters they would wait for the legal process to take its course.
“We will wait for the legal process.”
said the uncle of Tschutschat.
Public statements from the family of the victim were not immediately available.
The Pattaya Mail and Thai media reported that Tschutschat said during his transfer that he could not remember parts of the incident. Investigators were assessing this claim as part of the ongoing case.
Domestic violence by state officials
The killing again raised questions about how Thai authorities dealt with violent crimes committed by police officers. Human rights organisations and women’s protection groups had for years called for stricter internal controls and independent investigations in such cases.
Thai law enforcement bodies had recently announced reforms aimed at removing officials involved in serious crimes from service more quickly. It remained unclear whether, and how, these measures would be applied in the Khon Kaen case.
Source: Thairath