A Family in Despair
In a horrific turn of events, a 41-year-old father in Samut Prakan, overwhelmed with mounting family debt, is suspected of killing his wife and two sons before attempting to take his own life. It is believed that a call scam, which cost the wife 1.7 million baht she had borrowed, pushed the man over the edge.
The dreadful incident took place at the family’s three-story townhouse located behind Wat Nam Daeng in tambon Bang Kaew, Bang Phli district, and was reported to local authorities around 1 am on Monday.
A Grim Discovery
Upon arriving at the scene, police discovered the lifeless bodies of the 44-year-old wife, Wipaporn Racha, and the couple’s youngest son, 9-year-old Punnapat Dokmai, on the first floor. Both had sustained deep cuts to their neck and body. On the second floor, they found the couple’s second son, 13-year-old Boonyanont Dokmai, dead in front of a bedroom door.
The husband, Sanit Dokmai, was found lying face-up on the floor, clutching his bleeding neck which bore a deep slash. His wrist was also cut. Rescue workers provided first aid before rushing him to the hospital.
The Debt Crisis Unravels
Tharinee Sengsant, the husband’s work supervisor, informed police that Mr. Sanit had called her shortly after midnight to confess that he had killed his wife and two sons. She immediately contacted his neighbor and raced to the house while the neighbor alerted the police.
Ms. Tharinee revealed that Mr. Sanit had previously confided in her about the risk of losing his home due to guaranteeing a car loan for another person who defaulted. He believed he could clear the debt if he could secure a small loan. However, his wife had recently fallen victim to a call scam, borrowing and transferring 1.7 million baht to the fraudster. Creditors were hounding the family daily for repayment.
The Breaking Point
The financial strain caused by the scam might have been the last straw, leading to the tragic events that unfolded. Wiroon Kaew-on, a colleague of Mr. Sanit, described the man as usually calm, hardworking, and not prone to excessive smoking or drinking. Nevertheless, he had been consistently troubled by his family’s debts, as stated by Mr. Wiroon.
Pol Col Rangsan Khamsuk, the acting chief of Bang Kaew police station, revealed that last Friday, the deceased wife, Wipaporn, had filed a complaint about her own misfortunes. She had applied for a 100,000 baht loan using a phone loan app and was duped into paying over one million baht for so-called “procedural fees.”
