A two-year-old little Thai girl saw her grandfather kill her father in a violent attack when he came to her grandparents to bring his family in a chilling and appalling tragedy last Tuesday.
A 34-year-old Thai husband in Nakhon Si Thammarat got more than he bargained for when he travelled to the western district of Thung Yai in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province last Tuesday seeking to sweet talk his pregnant wife into returning home with him.
Instead, he found himself confronted by the anger and venom of his father in law unleashed over a 3-year grievance. The man had not long arrived at the home of his father in law. He had quarrelled with his wife days previously and she had fled to her parents home.
Shocking murder occurred at 8.30 pm last Tuesday
The shocking murder occurred in the Thang Yai district of the province at 8.30 pm approximately. The couple had lived in Chawang district not far to the east of Thung Yai where the parents of the man’s had their home. It was here that he met his death.
Police fund the murdered man in a hammock
Police who arrived at the murder scene on Tuesday found the body of Mr Sarawut Phonhiran in a hammock with blood trailing to the ground. He had a bullet wound in his chest.
Two women at the scene required medical attention
At the scene, police also found the wife of the attacker 41-year old Noonai Krainara and her daughter 25-year-old Monthip Krainara, the wife of the deceased man.
Both women were suffering from injuries and had to be treated by rescue services before being removed to hospital.
2-year-old girl taken into the care of relatives
The two-year-old daughter of the murdered man and Ms Monthip was taken away from the house into the care of local relatives. The little Thai girl had witnessed the murder of her father.
The investigating officer at the scene was Police Colonel Chokdee Rakwattanapong.
After police interviewed the two women sometime later, a clear picture of what had happened emerged.
Killer was the father in law of the victim
The killer was identified as Ms Noonai’s husband, the father of Ms Monthip identified as Mr Narong Krainara.
It appears that he had held a long-standing grudge against his son in law since the occasion of the wedding celebration party for the marriage of the man and his daughter three years previously.
Older man had been humiliated 3 years previously by his son in law on the day of his daughter’s wedding
The two Thai women told the police that Mr Naraong had organised a wedding party and sent formal invitations to an extensive list of friends and families.
On the day of the wedding party, the groom Mr Sarawut failed to show up. This humiliated the older man.
Grievance had festered with the older Thai man
His wife and daughter told police that the slight had not been forgotten about. Since then, in fact, the loss of face had festered in the older man’s mind.
Mr Narong was further envenomed when contrary to Thai tradition and the wishes of her parents, Mr Sarawut took his wife away from her parent’s home to live in an adjacent district.
Encountered the man who had married his daughter last Tuesday
On Tuesday, when Mr Sarwaut arrived at the home, it was not long before he encountered the older man. After a harsh and heated exchange of words between the two men, Mr Naroong attacked the younger man kicking him.
He then withdrew a pistol concealed on his person. He viciously hit his son in law on the head with the weapon and then while still in an enraged state, shot him in the chest killing him.
The Police Colonel applied to the court for a warrant to arrest the older man on a charge of murder.
He told the press that the police would arrest the man and bring him to justice.
Further reading:
Thai man guns down Italian for stealing away his younger mistress on Sunday in Khon Kaen