PATTAYA, Thailand – Relatives of the three family members allegedly murdered by Thanat “Pong” and his accomplices in Huay Yai, Chonburi have collected the victims’ bodies from the Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, calling for the suspects to receive the maximum penalty under the law while criticizing police for failing to act on earlier complaints. The bodies will be taken to Wat Khao Boonmee Dararam for four nights of funeral rites, with cremation scheduled for Saturday. Kritsada Chat-in, 36, a relative of 50-year-old victim Chantana, said the family remains devastated and does not believe the suspect feels any genuine remorse. “He deserves the highest punishment allowed by law,” Kritsada said. “Our family cannot accept what happened.”
Kritsada said he had known the suspect personally and alleged that he frequently carried firearms, threatened people, and was involved with drugs. He claimed a police complaint had been filed on July 7 regarding the suspect’s behavior, but the case showed little progress. He also alleged that the suspect often wore a tactical vest or clothing resembling a police uniform, leading many people to mistake him for a law enforcement officer. Commenting on a 14-year-old linked to the case, Kritsada said he knew the youth as a local resident but had not seen him since his release from juvenile detention. He stressed that the family’s only wish is for justice to be served.
Kritsada further accused police of negligence, saying officers failed to properly pursue the earlier complaint despite repeated follow-ups by the family. “Tracking down offenders should not become the burden of victims’ relatives,” he said, urging authorities to carry out their duties more effectively.
The family is now focused on giving the victims a proper farewell while hoping the legal process delivers justice.
