The Buri Ram – Roi Et bus driver suspected of beating a female passenger to death and stealing her gold jewelry was arrested in Maha Sarakham province yesterday.
Watcharin Prathumporn, 26, was arrested in a hut in a rice paddy after being spotted at a nearby gas station buying grilled chicken. The sighting was reported to police, who performed a search of the area and found him in the hut.
Watcharin readily admitted to robbing and killing Boonpeng Panyo, 56, who was the only rider in his bus on Saturday evening, reported Bangkok Post.
The driver had finished his route from Buri Ram to Roi Et. He let out his passengers and was bringing the empty bus back to Buri Ram when Boonpeng motioned to him to pick her up from the roadside.
He told officers that seeing how much gold she was wearing gave him the idea to commit the crime. After picking her up, he drove a different route than usual and then stopped and hit her in the back of her head with a hammer.
Local media reported that Watcharin admitted to being on yaba when he committed the crime.
She immediately lost consciousness and the driver took her gold necklace and all the money she had on her. He hid the money in the back of the bus and dragged her body into a nearby rice paddy. He said that he planned to use the stolen funds to buy a motorcycle and pay bills.
He left the scene with her gold but forgot the money in the bus.
Villagers found the unconscious victim and took her to the hospital but they could not save her.
Her family said that the victim’s gold necklace and bracelet, both weighing one-baht, were gone as well as the THB27,000 cash she had been carrying, which was found inside the bus.
The bus’s owner, Supit Watthasunthorn, 38, reported to officers that, at most times, he is on the bus as well, and passengers are not left alone with a driver. However, on this evening, Watcharin had to drive another bus back to Buri Ram.
He noted that Watcharin’s crime had made people lose trust in interprovincial buses and become afraid to ride them but that he would be checking staff backgrounds closely before hiring them.
The family of the victim will receive compensation.
