Urgent: Ayutthaya police have arrested the suspect in the murder and robbery of a taxi driver, whose body was abandoned in a field. The suspect was hiding in a rental room near the victim's home and claimed the motive was a dispute over a phone repair costing 400 baht, which angered him when repeatedly asked about it.
The case began when officers from Changyai Police Station in Bang Sai District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, were notified of a taxi driver’s body found injured and abandoned in a field about 1 kilometer from Highway 9, Bang Pa-in–Bang Bua Thong route.
At the scene, a green-yellow Toyota taxi with license plate 5ขจ-7304 Bangkok was found parked with its door open. The victim, 65-year-old Prayad Butong, had severe head wounds. It is suspected he was lured from another area and assaulted in a robbery.
On 6 May at Changyai Police Station in Bang Sai District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pol. Maj. Gen. Wichit Boonchinwutikul, Deputy Commander of Region 1 Police, and Pol. Maj. Gen. Surawut Saengrungruang, Provincial Police Commander, held a meeting with the investigative team for over two hours to review technological data, witness statements, and evidence.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Wichit said that after receiving orders from Pol. Lt. Gen. Watthana Yijin, Commander of Region 1 Police, to follow up on the case, they convened to review progress. He admitted the investigation was difficult due to the remote location of the crime scene.
Initial investigations revealed the victim was a black-plate taxi driver residing in Pathum Thani Province. His wife sold flowers and garlands in the same province.
Since 4 May, the wife had been able to contact him until about 8 p.m., after which he was unreachable until his body was discovered on the evening of 5 May.
The body showed an 8-centimeter long wound on the forehead, which doctors identified as fatal. Signs of a struggle were found on the front seats on both the driver and passenger sides. The weapon was a sharp, hard object not found at the scene.
Missing items included one mobile phone, one wristwatch, and 2,000 baht in cash. Two Government Savings Bank accounts and the victim’s ATM card were found in the vehicle, with no recent financial activity. Authorities are focusing on robbery motives, considering personal grudges less likely.
The investigative teams from the Region 1 Police, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Police, and Changyai Police Station were assigned to work on the case. The suspect remains unidentified, but progress is expected within 2–3 days.
Witnesses indicated that as a black-plate taxi driver, the victim frequently served foreign regular customers, which provided better income. However, authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a random passenger being involved.
Forensic officers collected latent fingerprints, hair, and other DNA samples at the scene for analysis.
Based on the evidence, it is likely the suspect and victim stopped the taxi to talk, after which the suspect committed robbery. It is also possible the suspect did not intend to kill the victim. Investigators are tracing the suspect’s movements before and after the crime and urging the suspect to surrender, noting leniency if that happens, but assuring capture if he flees.
At approximately 13:50, reporters were informed that the investigation team at Changyai Police Station, Bang Sai District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, had successfully apprehended a suspect in the taxi driver murder and robbery case.
The suspect, Narathon Plaikaew, was arrested in a rental room in Bang Khayaeng Subdistrict, Mueang District, Pathum Thani Province, near the victim’s residence.
During initial questioning, Narathon claimed the dispute arose over a mobile phone the victim had entrusted him to repair for 400 baht. When the victim repeatedly asked about it, Narathon became upset and angry, planning to lure and assault the victim, which resulted in his death.
After the incident, Narathon fled and hid nearby until police tracked and arrested him.
Authorities are currently holding Narathon for detailed interrogation to expand the investigation, verify facts, and gather evidence to support the case file.