Pictures courtesy of Amarin.

 

Police investigating the gruesome discovery of a woman’s body stuffed into a suitcase and dumped in a reservoir in Chon Buri believe the victim may not be Thai.

 

The case came to light in the early hours of 3 September, when a national rowing team athlete spotted a chained black suitcase floating in the Bang Phai reservoir, located on the border of Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, and Ban Chang district, Rayong.

 

When opened, officers were shocked to find the half naked body of a woman, believed to be between 30 and 40 years old, curled inside. Initial forensic estimates suggest she had been dead for at least five days. The suitcase contained nine brand-new dumbbell plates hidden in compartments, apparently used to weigh it down.

 

At 16:30 on 4 September, Pol Maj Gen Thawatchakiat Jindakornsanasong, Commander of Chon Buri Provincial Police, chaired a high-level meeting to accelerate the investigation at Huai Yai Police Station, attended by senior officers and detectives.

 

Following the meeting, Pol Maj Gen Thawatchakiat revealed that significant progress had been made but declined to disclose full detailed findings. A preliminary autopsy confirmed the victim died from asphyxiation. Surgeons also discovered signs of cosmetic surgery, including chin and breast implants. The silicone implants carried serial numbers in Chinese, markedly different from a similar case in Ban Chang earlier this year, in which implants were American-made.

 

The victim is believed to have been around 162 centimetres tall with fair skin, suggesting she was likely of Asian origin but not Thai. Police are cross-checking international databases in an effort to identify her.

 

Investigators suspect the killer was familiar with the area and may even have attempted to imitate the earlier Ban Chang murder case.

 

Pol Maj Gen Thawatchakiat stressed that detectives were carefully piecing together the evidence “like a jigsaw puzzle”, and that the pool of suspects was narrowing. He expressed optimism that “good news” would soon emerge in solving the shocking crime.

 

Related article:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1371947-national-team-in-shock-after-body-found-in-suitcase-in-chonburi/

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-09-05

 

 

 

 

Is DNA testing beyond their budget or capacity?

49 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Is DNA testing beyond their budget or capacity?

 

Give them some time.

 

From Google AI:

The duration of a Thai police DNA test can vary significantly, with some tests expected in about 24 hours for urgent forensic analysis

3 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Investigators suspect the killer was familiar with the area and may even have attempted to imitate the earlier Ban Chang murder case.

Imitate???? Virtually identical in so many aspects. 

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Is DNA testing beyond their budget or capacity?

With having the serial number of the breast implants DNA testing wouldn't be needed. DNA of victim might also not be found in any database while the implant must be registered with identity by the manufacturer

Just now, chakatee said:

With having the serial number of the breast implants DNA testing wouldn't be needed. DNA of victim might also not be found in any database while the implant must be registered with identity by the manufacturer

I was of the opinion that DNA testing is not solely for identification, but would yield a lot of information on the deceased, ethnicity being one. 

14 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

I was of the opinion that DNA testing is not solely for identification, but would yield a lot of information on the deceased, ethnicity being one. 

Standard police DNA testing can help identify a victim, if they are on a database and can normally be achieved in a day or two.

 

DNA may also be used to help indicate likely ancestry/ethnic background but it will not provide a definitive nationality. This type of addition testing, usually take weeks.

 

Normally the additional tests are known as forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) or biogeographical ancestry (BGA) testing.

 

UPDATE
Possible Breakthrough Expected in Gruesome Suitcase Murder Case

Pictures courtesy of SiamChon.

 

Police investigating the shocking discovery of a woman’s body stuffed in a suitcase and dumped in a reservoir in Bang Lamung District, Chonburi, stated on 5 September, they have uncovered a key lead that could soon bring the case closer to resolution.

 

The body of the still unidentified victim was found weighted down with dumbbell plates in the Huai Yai area earlier this week. Forensic tests revealed that the woman, aged between 30 and 40, had died from suffocation rather than drowning. She had pale skin, blue nail polish and had undergone cosmetic surgery including breast implants, rhinoplasty and chin augmentation.

 

Pol Maj Gen Thawatchakiat Jindakornsanong, Chonburi Provincial Police Commander, confirmed that “important evidence” had been retrieved from inside the suitcase. He declined to provide details, saying disclosure could alert the killer. However, he hinted that investigators may have “good news soon.”

 

The victim’s body had been weighted with nine dumbbell plates and secured with a padlock before being thrown into the reservoir. Detectives have focused on one particular weight, a new 5kg plate that did not match the other pairs of 0.5kg, 1.25kg, and 2.5kg plates. Police believe this anomaly could indicate it was purchased locally, potentially helping to trace the buyer.

 

Investigators are now working across multiple jurisdictions to determine whether the killing is linked to the similar unsolved case in Rayong province. Officers remain tight-lipped but insist good progress is being made.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from SiamChon 2025-09-05

 

 

 

 

UPDATE
Dumbbell Purchase Links Chinese Man to Murder Case