CHONBURI, Thailand — Thai police have launched a homicide investigation following the discovery of the body of Natthawee Sukantharun, a 64-year-old former national tennis and beach-tennis player widely known as “Coach Nat.” The victim was found deceased at his residence in the Banglamung district of Chonburi province on Sunday, exhibiting multiple signs of a violent assault.

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According to initial forensic assessments, the victim sustained knife wounds to both arms and displayed clear physical indications of strangulation. Investigators documented evidence of a physical struggle within the bedroom where the body was discovered, and a sharp knife was subsequently recovered from the scene as potential evidence.

The case has drawn significant attention from regional law enforcement. On Monday afternoon, senior police officers convened at the Nongprue Police Station in Bang Lamung to coordinate the investigative strategy. Following the briefing, Police Major General Chokchai Ngamwong, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 2, indicated that detectives are actively questioning several individuals closely associated with the victim. Among those being interviewed is a 22-year-old Lao national who had resided with the Pattaya-based coach for the past three years. Authorities emphasized that these individuals are currently being treated as persons of interest or witnesses as investigators work to narrow down the list of primary suspects.

Detectives are currently exploring multiple potential motives, with a primary focus on personal disputes and robbery. A critical lead in the investigation involves a suspicious financial transaction. Investigators discovered that a tablet was used to transfer 30,000 baht from the victim’s bank account at approximately 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, a timeframe that aligns with the estimated time of the killing. The funds were transferred to a Myanmar national identified as “Tek,” who had reportedly resigned from his employment at the victim’s badminton court roughly a week prior to the incident.

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Authorities are meticulously analyzing digital footprints, forensic evidence, and witness testimonies to reconstruct the events leading up to the tragedy. The investigation remains highly active as police work to determine whether the financial transfer was directly linked to the fatal assault or part of a broader criminal scheme.

-Thailand News (TN)