Nonthaburi—
At 3:00 PM, on January 6th, 2024, the stepparents of a two-year-old toddler, who was found inside a refrigerator in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi, visited Bang Bua Thong police station to give their testimony.
Mr. Hannarong Phraiphanom or Bank, a 31-year-old stepfather, Ms. Marisa Thongiam or Koi, a 25-year-old stepmother, and Mr. Nopparat Duangngam, the 29-year-old biological father visited the Bang Bua Thong police station to give testimony regarding the case of a 2-year-old toddler found dead inside a refrigerator wrapped by a cloth bag and Thai holy thread.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Prathana Phaenpha, the Nonthaburi Provincial Police Commander, publicly revealed after the interrogation that the police expected the forensic examination results within 3 days.
Meanwhile, Hannarong and Marisa allegedly conspired to hide the body after the toddler was dead for 2 to 3 days and put the body inside the refrigerator as the strong smell started to spread, said the police.
The stepparents reportedly admitted that they hit the toddler sometimes to educate him, said the police. The traces shown on the body did not indicate the cause of death, however, the autopsy results would determine whether the stepparents physically assaulted the toddler to death or not, said the police.
Nopparat, the biological father, said to the police that he reportedly had little time to take care of the toddler as he had to work. Nopparat reportedly hired Hannarong for 500 baht a day to care for the toddler in his stead for 2 months. Hannarong would reportedly send an update by sending photos of the toddler to Nopparat occasionally.
However, Nopparat did not believe the claims of the step-parents that the toddler ate sticky rice and it became stuck in his throat, causing him to die. He only realized that his son passed away from the news, and neither Hannarong nor Marisa told him about his son.
Initially, at 6:50 PM, Bang Bua Thong police officers pressed charges against Hannarong and Marisa for failing to report the death and concealing the corpse. The police objected to bail during the investigation.
