Chon Buri police have apologised to relatives of a father, mother and child found murdered, acknowledging failures in communication and a severe shortage of CCTV coverage around Huai Yai. Officers insisted, however, that they never stopped investigating and rejected claims that suspect "Pong" had worked as a police informant.
The clarification followed a meeting lasting almost an hour between relatives, social campaigner Kan Jomphalang, and senior provincial and Huai Yai police officers on 2 August. The family had questioned why the search for the three victims appeared to have made little progress.
Police explain early lines of inquiry
Pol Col Wasurat Chaitheeraphat, deputy commander of Chon Buri Provincial Police, said investigators visited the victims' home after relatives raised the alarm. They found lights left on, someone feeding the dogs and a pickup truck still parked there, while a motorcycle was missing.
Police also found documents relating to informal loans. This led investigators initially to consider whether the family might have fled debt, he said.
Huai Yai police chief Pol Col Warawut Nitayawan offered condolences and accepted that information had not been communicated clearly to relatives. He said officers would improve progress updates, while maintaining that the investigation itself had continued throughout.
Police also denied allegations that Pong was an informant or had acted as their "source". Phasakorn said Pong had been imprisoned since 2018 and asked why police would have jailed him if he had been working for them.
One camera on a 20km road
Police said the area where victims' bodies were buried is a 20-kilometre road serving the largely forested, hilly area and has only one CCTV camera, positioned outside Huai Yai Police Station.
Requests for more cameras from local authorities have not received support, police said, leaving a major blind spot for investigators. Kan Jomphalang urged responsible agencies to act and said he would consider helping provide cameras.
Police also said they are checking outstanding missing-person cases and checking on reports that the alleged killers may have had more than five victims. They said no additional evidence or reports have yet been received, but online claims were being investigated.
Evidence taken from victims' home
On the day the family were reported missing investigators and forensic officers examined the family's single-storey rented home in Ban Thung Kha Tai, Moo 2, Huai Yai, Bang Lamung. A bronze-gold four-door Chevrolet Colorado pickup was parked outside and was later removed by tow truck for further examination at Huai Yai Police Station.
Neighbours said the family usually dried fish at a shop in front of the house. They described the area as isolated, with scattered homes and dense forest, and called for more patrols; a regular police checkpoint reportedly ended around six years ago.
Relatives said they had initially feared debt collectors were involved. The victims' grandmother said the 18-year-old had not been involved with drugs, while acknowledging her daughter had previously been arrested with 20 methamphetamine pills but had not reoffended after serving her sentence.
Picture courtesy of Amarin
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2 August 2026
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