PATTAYA, Thailand – Police have identified a former Myanmar employee as the prime suspect in the killing of a former Thai national beach tennis player and respected coach, after a financial trail linked him to a transfer from the victim’s bank account shortly after the suspected time of death.
The victim, Nattawee Sukantharun, 64, a former Thai national beach tennis player and owner of a sports club featuring tennis courts and pickleball facilities in Nongprue was found dead inside his bedroom at his home at around 3 p.m. on July 26.
Nattawee was widely known in Thailand’s tennis community as a coach and mentor who helped develop top-level players. His death shocked fellow athletes, students, and local residents.
Following the discovery, investigators from Nongprue Police Station launched an intensive investigation, with officers initially focusing on possible personal conflicts and people close to the victim. Four people close to Nattawee were questioned, including the person who first discovered his body, a long-time acquaintance, two Thai and Lao workers connected to the tennis facility, and other individuals familiar with the victim. Police also collected fingerprints and DNA samples as part of the investigation.
A major breakthrough came when investigators examined financial activity linked to the victim’s account. Police found that at around 4 a.m. on July 26, believed to be around the time Nattawit was killed, a transfer of 37,500 baht was made from the victim’s banking application on his iPad to an account registered under a Myanmar national’s name. Further checks revealed the recipient was Zaw Thet Lwin, 29, a former employee of Nattawee. Police said he had worked for the victim for about one month before being dismissed approximately one to two weeks before the killing. On July 28, Nong Prue Police investigators led by Pol. Col. Nattapon Pongsuksakul, superintendent of Nong Prue Police Station, together with the case officer, requested an arrest warrant from the Pattaya Provincial Court.
The court issued an arrest warrant for Zaw Thet Lwin on a charge of intentional murder.
Investigators also found that after receiving the 37,500-baht transfer, the suspect allegedly moved another 10,000 baht to a separate account. Police are investigating whether the money was connected to attempts to flee toward border areas. Police believe the suspect may have travelled toward Mae Sot District in Tak Province.
Authorities are now working to locate and bring him back for legal proceedings. Investigators also reviewed CCTV footage from near the victim’s home, which reportedly showed a man believed to be Zaw Thet Lwin riding a grey Honda Click motorcycle past the residence before later collecting clothes from his accommodation in Pattaya and disappearing. Police continue gathering evidence and tracking the suspect, while stressing that all allegations remain part of the ongoing investigation and must proceed through the legal process.
