Canal death mystery, sex for drugs, forgetful felon

Burning it at both ends

A Kanchanaburi man's dalliance with a second girlfriend whom he saw over Songkran may have led to his premature death when he ran off the road on his way back to his regular girlfriend in another province.

Phanom Thuan police found the body of Krongpop, or Nong Ice (no surname given), 20, in a waterway behind the Talat Khet municipality office in Rang Wai sub-district on April 20.

He had been missing for more than a day since he set off from his family home in the province for the return journey to Prachuap Khiri Khan, where he lives with his girlfriend of two years, Rattanaporn, or Aom (no surname given), 23.

The two parted ways to return to their home provinces over Songkran, with Aom visiting family in Si Sa Ket. She had arranged to meet Ice in Prachuap Khiri Khan on the morning on April 19 upon his return, but he failed to show.

Aom said the two had argued before he left his family's place about midnight on April 19, after she discovered he was seeing someone else.

"I received a message from someone asking if I was still seeing Ice or if we had split up," she told police later.

Aom said she suspected Ice was secretly seeing an ex-flame, Cream (no surname provided), who lives in his home province. They had split up some time ago but she suspected they reunited over Songkran.

Ice's father, Chaiyapol, who last saw his son about midnight as he left his family home, contacted police after he failed to show up in Prachuap Khiri Khan the next day.

"He spoke to his grandmother before he left and started to cry, saying he did not want to leave. I thought that was strange behaviour but he would not be dissuaded from his desire to go back anyway," he told reporters.

However, Ice did not head straight back. Inquiries revealed he went to see his ex-girlfriend, Cream, at home first.

The probe revealed that Aom was correct in suspecting he was seeing Cream quietly during Songkran week.

In fact, his father said Ice did not stay overnight with his family but spent the whole time with friends. He would pick up Cream at her place to play Songkran every day, he said.

Ice's father also contacted Rapee Chamnanrua, a public figure who helps those fighting for a fair deal from the justice system. Mr Rapee contacted Cream's family, who confirmed he visited Cream's place after he left his parents', leaving there about 3am.

Before he left he received a call from a friend who asked him to pick up a spare part for a motorcycle, which he asked Ice to work on at the repair shop where he is employed in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Cream's family told Mr Rapee that Ice and Cream parted amicably. Nor did she know that he was living with another woman in Prachuap Khiri Khan. "She found out through the media after he disappeared," they said.

Ice's family and friends initially suspected that Ice's philandering ways may have landed him into trouble. Aom asked whether Cream may have had a boyfriend who discovered Ice was meddling with her, and decided to get revenge.

Further inquiries suggest his demise may have been a mere accident, however, with Ice racing out the door of Cream's place to meet his friend, "B", to collect the motorcycle part.

Aom said she last heard from Ice about 2am, as they argued online about the mysterious message she received. Meanwhile, inquiries revealed that he sent a message to Cream about 3am while on his way back to Prachuap Khiri Khan saying he had fallen asleep at the wheel and ran off the road. She replied, urging him not to overdo it.

Police and divers found his body in an irrigation canal on April 20, but without his motorcycle, or phone. Two days later, they found the motorcycle submerged in the water, about 19km from where they found the body, which appears to have been carried away by currents in the canal.

About 150m away, they found skid marks by the side of the canal which suggested he lost control of his vehicle and fell in. At 3.33am on the morning he disappeared, CCTV cameras captured him on his motorcycle, turning into a road running alongside the canal. At 3.02am, barely moments before, he had messaged Cream to say he had come off the road.

Ice's body when retrieved from the canal bore no signs of having been attacked, though he was no longer wearing his shirt. His motorcycle showed no signs it had been hit by another vehicle, though in a nagging detail which has stumped police, the bike was set in fuel/seat mode which suggests the engine was off when it hit the water. In that mode the bike can't move as the accelerator is locked, lights are off and so on.

"He'd have to wheel it down there to get into the water as the engine would not have been going," one investigator said.

As a result, police believe there was a 60 percent chance it was an accident, 30 percent chance he was killed, and 10 percent chance that his death stemmed from a dispute over his own philandering. Inquiries are continuing.

Twisted tale

Police in Surat Thani nabbed a father who allegedly left his two young children with a drug supplier accused of sleeping with them in return for providing him with drugs.

Police raided a house in Maret, Koh Samui, rented by Boonma, or Keng, 49 (surname withheld). They found two children there, a boy aged aged six and girl aged seven, and 149 pills of ya ba and 0.27 grammes ya ice secreted in his bedroom.

They were accompanied by staff from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and staff from a welfare home, who have taken over care of the children. They stepped in following a good samaritan's complaint to the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, run by former MP Pavena Hongsakul.

Police say the children appear to have been confined at the house for at least a month. Their drug addict father, Watchara (no surname given), left them in the care of Keng, a gay man who is also an alleged drug supplier, supposedly so Keng could sleep with them, in return for which he would keep the father supplied with drugs.

One media report said that when police arrived they found Keng in bed with the boy. The good samaritan found out about the plight of the children after the girl managed to escape briefly from the house and revealed what was going on.

Police say Keng gives ya ba to men he likes in return for sex. They say addicts come and go from the house constantly, buying drugs.

The children's maternal grandmother asked Keng if she could take over care of the kids, but was rebuffed, police said. Officers charged Keng with possession with intent to supply. They also nabbed the father Watchara, who tested positive for drugs.

They sent him to drugs rehab though they are also questioning him about the kids' claims that he sent them to live with Keng in return for drugs. Police also sent the children for a checkup to see if they were abused sexually.

Oops, gotta go

A rider called into Huai Khwang police station to look at CCTV images from an accident only to flee when he recalled that six arrest warrants were out for him.

Officers nabbed Manop (no surname given), 35, who delivers food for a delivery company, opposite the station moments after he fled. When Manop called in asking to look at CCTV images following a vehicle accident, an officer recognised him and asked him to wait.

Manop must have grasped the gravity of his own offending, reports say, as he abruptly stood up and fled. Officers caught him before he was able to get too far.

Police say he has outstanding warrants going back a couple of years. He is accused of setting up mule accounts for online fraudsters, fraud, and committing deceptive practices under the Computer Crimes Act.

A well-travelled alleged conman, his offences are said to have occurred in Pattani, Chanthaburi, Ratchaburi, Tak, and Nakhon Pathom provinces, among other places. Officers informed him of the charges, and sent him to Nakhon Pathom police for further action.