A man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of killing a 75-year-old Japanese husband in Muang district, reportedly out of rage at the victim for abusing the Thai wife with whom he was involved romantically.
Suwit Maengsri, 21, who was wanted for conspiring to murder Yukiho Yamada, stealing his cellphone and burning his body to cover up the crime, was nabbed along with Bt25,640 in cash, two cellphones and the crowbar used in the murder.
Suwit told police the victim's wife, Tabtim Saehak, had let him stay over at the couple's home when Yamada was away.
He said he became furious when Tabtim told him that Yamada assaulted her, especially when she could not find him a satisfactory prostitute.
When Tabtim notified him early Tuesday morning, he sneaked into the couple's house and hit Yamada with the crowbar twice in the face and stabbed him in the leg before fleeing with his cellphone.
He later burned the body in a car in an isolated location and got Bt30,000 from Tabtim to help him escape from the law.
But he remained in Phuket out of worry for Tabtim, who was arrested last week.
Police took him to re-enact the crime yesterday.