BANGKOK — Police were forced to cut short a crime reenactment on Thursday after angry residents gathered and hurled abuse at a Laotian man who confessed to killing and dismembering his girlfriend, with tensions escalating to the point that officers had to restrain a man attempting to assault the suspect.

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Investigators from Thung Song Hong Police Station escorted the suspect, identified only as “Dom,” from a holding cell early this morning to reconstruct the crime. He was fitted with a helmet and body armour and was guarded by more than 20 officers as authorities prepared to walk him through the sequence of events.

The Crime

The first location was a fourth-floor apartment in the Chaeng Wattana area, where the suspect allegedly strangled the victim, a fellow Laotian national identified as Ram Phothirach. Police said the bathroom was used to dismember the body before the remains were placed in eight black plastic bags.

Officers then took him to additional locations, including areas where he allegedly disposed of blood-stained items and several of the bags containing body parts. The dismembered remains were reportedly dumped in a canal that runs alongside Khlong Prapa Road.

Reenactment Halted

However, tensions escalated quickly as local residents gathered, shouting insults and condemnation at the suspect. At one point, police had to physically restrain a man who approached the suspect in an apparent attempt to assault him.

With more onlookers, including colleagues of the victim, arriving at the scene, police made the decision to halt the reenactment after approximately one hour, citing safety concerns for both the suspect and the officers involved.

Arrest and Confession

The suspect was arrested for intentional homicide and concealing a body after being apprehended in Nong Khai province while attempting to flee across the border into Laos. According to police, Dom confessed during questioning late Wednesday night, claiming he acted out of jealousy.

A Lao man was arrested in the northeastern province of Nong Khai late on Tuesday night after allegedly killing his Laotian girlfriend, dismembering her and discarding the parts in plastic bags.

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— Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) March 25, 2026

Chain of Events

Police provided the following account based on the suspect’s confession and witness statements. Dom claimed that his girlfriend ran away from their apartment in Bangkok’s Chaeng Wattana area to be with her family in Chon Buri in late February. Earlier this month, Dom went to Chon Buri in an attempt to convince Ram to return to Bangkok, and she agreed.

He then persuaded her to return to Laos with him to work there, but Ram refused, and a heated argument broke out between them. Dom, allegedly in a fit of jealous rage, assaulted her until she passed out. Believing that the woman was dead, the suspect then allegedly used a knife to dismember her and placed her limbs into eight black plastic bags, which were later dumped in the canal.

Family’s Plea for Help

The victim’s family told police they suspected something was wrong when Ram phoned them for help, claiming she was being detained in her room by Dom. After that call, they lost contact with her and filed a complaint with police in Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi.

The victim’s elder brother, identified as “Det,” told police that Dom had picked up Ram from her workplace in Chon Buri and both returned to Bangkok. On March 22, Ram called him asking for help, claiming she was locked in her room following a quarrel with her boyfriend. She also sent short messages asking for assistance. Since Det was still at work, he advised her to try to speak with her boyfriend to settle the problem.

After finishing work around midnight, Det travelled to Bangkok to see Ram at her room in the Chaeng Wattana area but failed to find her. The family subsequently filed another complaint with Thung Song Hong Police.

CCTV Evidence and Arrest

Police checked CCTV footage from the apartment where Dom and Ram stayed and observed Dom carrying several black plastic bags out of the building. Dom later took a flight to Udon Thani province and boarded a bus to Nong Khai in an apparent attempt to flee back to Laos, but he was arrested by Thai immigration officers before he could cross the border.

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The suspect remains in police custody as the investigation continues, facing charges of intentional homicide and concealing a body.

-Thailand News (TN)