The national police chief ordered police to search 5 locations nationwide to arrest suspects in the Tak Bai case, working until the last day before the statute of limitations expires 1 day.
On October 25, 2004, in an incident in front of Tak Bai Police Station, officials used martial law to detain protesters and transport a large number of protesters in military and police trucks from Tak Bai District, Narathiwat Province, to the Ingkayutthaborihan Camp in Bo Thong Subdistrict, Nong Chik District, Pattani Province. It turned out that some of the trucks had a total of 78 deaths, and the autopsy results found that the cause of death was asphyxiation while under the control of officials.
On October 24, 2024, Pol. Gen. Kittirat Panphet, the national police chief, ordered police nationwide. In the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Pol. Lt. Gen. Thiti Sangsawang, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, assigned Pol. Maj. Gen. Noppasin Poolsawat, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, to mob
ilize forces to search areas in Bangkok and coordinate with the investigation divisions of Provincial Police Regions 4, 5, and 7 to jointly search and arrest suspects according to arrest warrants until the last day before the statute of limitations expires in another 1 day. A total of 5 locations were searched nationwide. The results of the arrests are as follows:
At the first location, the Investigation Police Division 4, together with Nong Kung Sri Police Station, brought a search warrant from the Kalasin Provincial Court, No. Kor. 630/2567, to search house number 74, Village 7, Nong Bua Subdistrict, Nong Kung Sri District, Kalasin Province, to arrest Lt. Wisanukorn Chaisarn, a suspect according to the Pattani Provincial Court warrant No. Chor. 524/2567 dated October 3, 2567, on charges of jointly killing others (Tak Bai protest case). From the search results, no person according to the arrest warrant was found. Mr. Nuchan Chaisarn, the suspect’s father, stated that Lt. Wisanukorn had left the house about
a month ago without saying where he went, and the family could not contact him, so they did not know where he was hiding.
At the second point, the investigation police of the Crime Suppression Division, Region 5, along with Mae Suai Police Station, Chiang Rai Province, led a force of more than 10 officers, carrying a search warrant from the Wiang Pa Pao Provincial Court, No. Kor. 163/2567, dated October 19, 2567, to search house number 195, Village 10, Mae Phrik Subdistrict, Mae Suai District, Chiang Rai Province, to arrest Gen. Chalermchai Wirunphet, a suspect with an arrest warrant from the Pattani Provincial Court, No. Chor. 513/2567, dated September 30, 2567, on the charge of ‘jointly killing others.’ The search did not find the suspect, so the village headman and assistant village headman were questioned, who stated that they had seen the person in the arrest warrant (the homeowner) living in the house. However, the house has not been occupied for more than 1 year.
While another set of police investiga
tors from the Crime Suppression Division, Region 5, led forces to search the third location, search warrant from Chiang Mai Provincial Court No. 477/2567 dated October 19, 2567, searched house number 225/26, Village No. 13, Ban Waen Subdistrict, Hang Dong District, Chiang Mai Province, to arrest Mr. Siwa Saengmani, a person with an arrest warrant from Narathiwat Provincial Court No. 167/2567 dated September 12, 2567 on charges of committing an offense, an offense against life, an attempt, an offense against liberty. Initially, the suspect was not found.
At the 4th point, the investigation police of the Crime Suppression Division, Region 7, brought a search warrant from the Nakhon Pathom Provincial Court, No. Kor. 729/2567, dated 21 October 67, to search house number 54/12, Village 5, Hom Kret Subdistrict, Sam Phran District, Nakhon Pathom Province. The search did not find the suspect according to the arrest warrant. At the last point, the police brought a search warrant from the Hua Hin Provincial Court, No.
246/2567, dated 21 October 2567, to search house number 240, Village 7, Hin Lek Fai Subdistrict, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. They found Ms. Woranuch Ruangchoi who identified herself as the owner of the house and led the search. However, the search did not find Lieutenant Commander Wisanukorn Chaisarn, the person according to the arrest warrant, nor any illegal items.
Source: Thai News Agency