PATTAYA, Thailand – Chonburi police have apologized to the family of a Thai father, mother and daughter who were murdered and buried in a concealed grave, acknowledging shortcomings in communication while insisting investigators never stopped searching for the missing family.
The apology came on August 2 after social activist Kan Jompalang accompanied relatives of the victims to meet senior officers from Chonburi Provincial Police and Huai Yai Police Station. The family had questioned why they received few updates after reporting the three missing, only to later discover they had been murdered. Deputy Chonburi Provincial Police Commander Col. Wasurat Chaitheerapat expressed condolences to the victims’ relatives and said investigators had pursued the case continuously from the day the family was reported missing. He explained that certain investigative details could not be disclosed because doing so might have jeopardized the investigation.
Huai Yai Police Chief Col. Warawut Nitthayawan admitted officers had failed to keep the family adequately informed throughout the investigation and offered a public apology, promising improvements to ensure relatives receive more regular updates in future missing-person cases.
Police said investigators repeatedly searched the victims’ home after the disappearance was reported, finding lights on inside the house, someone continuing to feed the family’s dogs and a pickup truck still parked at the property. However, the family’s motorcycle had disappeared along with the three victims. Documents relating to outstanding debts were also found inside the home, prompting investigators to consider several possible scenarios during the early stages of the inquiry, including whether the family had voluntarily left the area due to financial problems. Police stressed these were only investigative leads and not conclusions.
The investigation took a major turn after detectives solved the disappearance of two Russian brothers, uncovering evidence linking suspects, vehicles and other information to the Thai family’s case. Investigators described the breakthrough as the “final piece of the puzzle” that enabled arrests to be made. Police also denied allegations circulating online that the principal suspect had worked as a police informant or had close ties to officers, saying no evidence currently supports those claims. They pledged to prosecute any public official found to have assisted suspects. Investigators added that some suspects were brought back for further questioning because legal detention time limits required police to first complete court remand procedures, not because additional victims or new murder cases had been discovered. Officers also acknowledged that the largely rural Huai Yai area, including sections along Highway 331, has extensive forested land and limited CCTV coverage, making it easier for criminals to conceal bodies. Police said they support expanding surveillance cameras and street lighting to improve public safety.
Following the meeting, Kan Jompalang said the family had received satisfactory explanations regarding the investigation and appreciated the Huai Yai police chief’s willingness to admit mistakes and apologize. The victims’ relatives accepted the apology but urged authorities to ensure everyone involved in the murders is prosecuted and to use the case as a lesson to improve the handling of future missing-person investigations. Police said they would continue gathering evidence and expanding the investigation to bring all those responsible to justice.
