Community BBQ Restaurant Owner Found Dead in Car After Being Defrauded of 7 Million Baht

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

A tragic scene unfolded in Nonthaburi on the afternoon of 24 April, when the owner of a local barbecue restaurant was found dead in his car, parked outside his business. Authorities believe the 52-year-old man, a former bank employee, took his own life following immense financial stress caused by a 7 million baht debt owed to him by several people.

 

Police from Bang Kruai Station received a report at 14:30 and rushed to the scene on Bang Kruai-Sai Noi Road, Wat Chalo Subdistrict. They were accompanied by forensic specialists and the Poh Teck Tung Foundation.

 

 

At the scene, officers discovered the man’s lifeless body in the driver’s seat of a white saloon car. Nearby, they found a partially consumed blister pack of anti-anxiety medication. In the back seat, a charcoal grill was placed on the floor, while a brown envelope lay beside him. The envelope contained handwritten notes expressing frustration and grief over being defrauded, along with a list of names of those who owed him money, totalling 7 million baht.

 

A convenience store employee, who was close to the deceased, recalled a late-night visit just after midnight. “He came by like he always did, but this time he seemed down. I asked where he was going, and he said he needed to feed the cats at the restaurant,” she said. She was later devastated to learn of his death that afternoon.

 

A close employee of the deceased told police that he was a generous man, known for lending money to those in need, including ten of his own staff. However, three major borrowers reportedly caused him severe distress.

 

“One person borrowed nearly a million baht but threatened to sue him when asked for repayment,” the employee said. “Another encouraged him to invest in a business venture, but became verbally abusive when pressed to return the money, that loan was also about a million baht. The third had borrowed both cash and participated in a communal savings scheme (known locally as ‘share’), together amounting to half a million baht.”

 

Instead of responding with remorse, all three allegedly resorted to legal threats, worsening the victim’s emotional turmoil. The employee revealed that the deceased had gathered full evidence and had already authorised legal proceedings to recover the debts. “It wasn’t even all his money, he had borrowed from others just to help people out. It became too much for him.”

 

The body has been sent for autopsy, and an investigation is underway. Authorities are coordinating with the family to arrange funeral rites.

 

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai) or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress or depression. Seek out help.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-04-26.

 

 

 

[Georgealbert]