Police have identified the man with a dragon tattoo on his chest who was found handcuffed behind his back and shot dead in Kaeng Khoi forest. The victim's mother said she had already prepared herself, as her son was involved with drugs. Authorities are working to expand their investigation and pursue the suspect.
On 14 June 2026, Pol. Lt. Col. Phattharaphon Pinthong, Investigating Officer at Kaeng Khoi Police Station in Saraburi Province, received a report from Mr. Thawatchai Thongluang, village headman of Village 7, Thap Kwang Subdistrict, Kaeng Khoi District, about a male body found abandoned in a hillside waterway along the Thap Kwang–Hulin Cemetery road, on the border between Thap Kwang and Champhakphaeo Subdistricts. Officers responded and found the body of a man with a full dragon tattoo across his chest. On his left and right chin were tattoos reading “Ruanphen-Saraloew, Class 1.” He wore cream-colored shorts and a yellow crew-neck shirt. On his left wrist was a silver bracelet from Luang Pho Phian of Kren Krathin Temple, Lopburi Province. He was handcuffed behind his back and had two gunshot wounds to the chest.
Authorities have now identified the deceased as Mr. Lek Rodsuwan, 40, from Nakhon Ratchasima Province. He lived in both Klang Dong Subdistrict and Pak Chong District, frequently moving between the two areas. The suspect remains under investigation, believed to be connected to drug-related activities.
Meanwhile, police summoned Mrs. Weluwan, the mother of Mr. Lek, for questioning. She revealed that her son, named Lek, was unemployed and led a wayward life. Upon hearing of his death, she expressed indifference, having already accepted the possibility due to his involvement with drugs. He had been released from prison about five to six months prior. His first incarceration was at age 16 for assault, after stabbing someone. She said she did not know much about her son’s life, as they did not live together.
Before his death, on 11 June, her son called to ask for money. Initially, he requested 3,000 baht, but she replied that she had no money, as she earned only 400 baht per day and had to cover living expenses. She ultimately transferred only 1,000 baht to him.
Regarding the case, investigative teams from Saraburi Provincial Police and Kaeng Khoi Police Station have met to plan expanding the inquiry, reviewing CCTV footage from various locations to track down the perpetrator for prosecution. The body was handed to volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation for a detailed autopsy at the Police General Hospital’s forensic department. It is suspected that the murder may have involved a drug-related dispute before the victim was lured and shot.