Teenage Murderers Revealed in Police Transparency Debate

The murder of a Thai woman in the Isaan province of Sa Kaeo sparked a debate about the lenient punishment handed out to teenage murderers and raised concerns about the transparency of the Thai police.

The dead body of a 47 year old Thai woman named Buaphan Thansu was found in a pond near an abandoned petrol station in the Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo on January 12. Her husband, 54 year old Panya Kongsaenkham, was arrested as the main suspect after he confessed to the murder.

While Panya was in police custody awaiting further legal proceedings, a reporter from Channel 8, Natdanai Narath, released CCTV footage of the murder to the public. The footage absolved Panya of the murder and implicated five teenagers aged between 13 and 16, who physically assaulted Buaphan until she died.

The five teenagers were…