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

Related story

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1 August 2026

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Don't waste any more time, just treat them as rabid dogs and exterminate them instantly.

That is a niave, inappropriate and stupid comment. Give the Thai's a chance to lawfully sort this out.

The Thai courts will verdict according they are ordered in this case....

Frankly, Anutin’s words undermine Thailand’s constitutional claim to separation of powers. The Prime Minister has no formal role in directing police case files or hinting at sentencing outcomes, that’s the judiciary’s domain.

Yet Anutin’s very public vow to “never let this go” and his talk of proportionate punishment is blatant political opportunism dressed up as concern.

The tragedy is undeniable, but the Courts should decide punishment; politicians should not be seen as steering outcomes to appease public anger or burnish their own image.

Police:

Suspect 1 (thong) did you kill 5 people? - Ans Yes

Suspect 2 (pong) did you kill 5 people? - Ans Yes

Anyone else involved? Ans No

Court:

Guilty or not guilty?

Thong & Pong - Ans Yes

Court to decide death penalty or life (without parole ever) hopefully!

If only the justice system was that easy 😖

RIP to all 5 victims 😔

Compare how this plays out to the Hannah Witheridge David Miller murders on Koh Tao. The Russians (and the Thai family) are already seeing mountains moved to solve the case. Back then . . . ?

17 hours ago, John Drake said:

Compare how this plays out to the Hannah Witheridge David Miller murders on Koh Tao. The Russians (and the Thai family) are already seeing mountains moved to solve the case. Back then . . . ?

The difference being - in this case 2 nobodies compared to the Koh Tao Mafia family, a completely normal outcome / scenario.

17 hours ago, John Drake said:

Compare how this plays out to the Hannah Witheridge David Miller murders on Koh Tao. The Russians (and the Thai family) are already seeing mountains moved to solve the case. Back then . . . ?

The family of 3 killed earlier.... Thai's did not seem to care to much about that but throw some foreigners into mix and here we are !

27 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

The family of 3 killed earlier.... Thai's did not seem to care to much about that but throw some foreigners into mix and here we are !

Not just foreigners but Russians. The Thai government is sensitive to protect two groups of foreigners, Chinese and Russians.

20 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

"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."

While I fully agree with him, as I think everyone else does, the PM is not a judge or prosecutor so it's not his call is it. Anyway, there's no way these guys are getting off lightly. Not a chance.

55 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Compare how this plays out to the Hannah Witheridge David Miller murders on Koh Tao.

“Yes, I remember that.

Thailand’s top forensic expert of the time testified that the DNA on the murder weapon didn’t match the Burmese defendants yet the court still sided with police. Doubts about the investigation and evidence have never gone away.

Maybe this time the evidence will stand on its own, not just the confessions.

Seems many on here just take the opportunity for some PM bashing, thereby just ignoring what he really said.

20 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

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.

Judicial proceedings in courts all around the world should be free from political influence.

Courts should be impartial, in order to reach a proper verdict. We know this is not the case in Thailand.

From the news articles, it's plain to see their guilt, but justice needs to be seen being done, so on that basis, they should be charged, tried in a court of law, sentenced, and let the punishment fit the crime.

22 minutes ago, Jim Waldron said:

“Yes, I remember that.

Thailand’s top forensic expert of the time testified that the DNA on the murder weapon didn’t match the Burmese defendants yet the court still sided with police. Doubts about the investigation and evidence have never gone away.

Maybe this time the evidence will stand on its own, not just the confessions.

Meantime, the person(s) on Koh Tao who many have pointed the finger at, remain free (and feared).

On 8/1/2026 at 2:57 PM, bdenner said:

That is a niave, inappropriate and stupid comment. Give the Thai's a chance to lawfully sort this out.

Yes, I would like to see a thorough investigation. to establish the links and associates these wrong ones had. Not a rush, close the book, job.

There might well be some more digging to do!

Edited August 3Aug 3 by jacko45k

On 8/2/2026 at 2:11 PM, Jim Waldron said:

“Yes, I remember that.

Thailand’s top forensic expert of the time testified that the DNA on the murder weapon didn’t match the Burmese defendants yet the court still sided with police. Doubts about the investigation and evidence have never gone away.

Maybe this time the evidence will stand on its own, not just the confessions.

What evidence, it all been used, binned and forgotten -while the scum perpetrator/s are free to get on with their Mafia profession.