Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed that Thailand will not let those responsible for the deaths of two Russian siblings and three members of a Thai family escape serious punishment.
Anutin said police had been ordered to prepare a tight, accurate case file and work with prosecutors to move the case forward as quickly as possible. He traveled to Chonburi to visit the site to reinforce those instructions.
The prime minister said the case had deeply shocked Thai people and damaged Thailand's international image, particularly because foreign nationals were among the victims.
"Please believe that I will never let this go," he said. "It must be proportionate to what they have done, because it is not just two deaths, it is five deaths."
Courts will decide punishment
Anutin was responding to public calls for the suspects in the killings of the Russian siblings and the Thai family to face the death penalty.
He said anger over the case was understandable and that he shared the public's feelings, but stressed that it was for the courts to determine the sentence. The government's role, he said, was to ensure investigators assembled the strongest possible case so that offenders could receive the maximum punishment allowed.
Thailand's legal process had been followed when the alleged offenders were previously released after completing their sentences, he said. However, he added that repeated offending after release, particularly in a murder case, should lead to severe penalties.
The prime minister said police must be especially thorough and cautious in their investigation, while the Office of the Attorney General should be asked to cooperate in bringing the case to court without delay.
Assistance for Russian victims' family
Anutin said the mother of the two Russian tourists was already in Thailand and that officials would provide her with as much assistance as possible.
This would include coordinating arrangements connected with the case and returning the bodies of the victims to their home country, he said. Thailand also needed to show its regret over what had happened and restore confidence among people overseas that such crimes would not happen again.
Tourism and police agencies told to act
The prime minister said all relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, would need to be involved. The ministry is promoting Thailand and working on registrations for guides, shops and visitor services, he said, while domestic security remained a police responsibility.
He said the authorities must both investigate the alleged use of police identification and expand the inquiry into the circumstances behind the killings.
PM arrival and visit to burial site
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1 August 2026
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