Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioA 33-year-old man in Samut Prakan, Thailand, allegedly killed his 24-year-old girlfriend following a dispute over online gambling, according to Workpoint News 23 and 3 Plus News.
The argument began when the deceased used her boyfriend’s phone to play online slots, ultimately losing around 25,000 baht or almost $800.
The alleged attack occurred the night of September 18, but it wasn’t until the next day that the suspect discovered the victim unresponsive. He alerted his mother and grandmother, who reported it to the police.
When law enforcement arrived at the crime scene, they found the alleged perpetrator waiting to surrender. An examination of the victim’s body showed she had bruises on her face, neck, and body.
The police say the suspect confessed to the crime and has been charged with causing death by assault.
Police Say Dispute Over 25,000 Baht Loss Escalated to Fatal Assault
Investigators from Samrong Tai Police Station responded to a call at 2:30 p.m. on September 19 at a two-story townhouse in Soi Mitr Maitri, Bang Ya Phraek, Phra Pradaeng district.
On the second floor of the home, they found the victim, identified as 24-year-old Ms. Wasana, lying on the bedroom floor with extensive bruising. Forensic staff estimated she’d been dead for at least 12 hours.
The suspect, 33-year-old Mr. Natthaphong “Oh,” was sitting on the sofa with his mother and grandmother, waiting to surrender, when police arrived.
Police say he voluntarily admitted to striking the victim and, upon further questioning, described punching her in the neck and back and kicking her several times in the abdomen before they both went to sleep.
When the suspect got up the next day, he couldn’t wake up his girlfriend. He told his family, who alerted law enforcement.
After documenting the crime scene, police handed the body over to volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, who transferred the body to the Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, where an autopsy will be performed.
Gambling Debts Cited in Other Recent Killings Across Asia
The Samut Prakan case follows two recent incidents in Indonesia where gambling losses have been cited as a trigger.
Earlier this month, Indonesian police said online gambling debts drove a man to murder a delivery driver after he lost a customer’s cash-on-delivery payment on a betting site. Desperate for money, he tricked a coworker who was carrying cash into meeting him before carrying out the fatal attack.
In a separate case in August, a man struggling with online gambling debt murdered a journalist, according to Indonesian police. Investigators believe the killing was financially motivated, with the suspect attempting to steal assets to offset his losses.
