Hua Hin Provincial Court has sentenced a man, 36-year-old Rattikorn "Sam" Yingyot, to death for the robbery and killing of a hotel receptionist in Prachuap Khiri Khan province in January.

The ruling, delivered on 8 September, followed the defendant's admission during court proceedings. Judges found the crime so brutal that there were no grounds to reduce the sentence.

Receptionist attacked during night shift

The victim, a 35-year-old receptionist, was killed at a hotel in Hua Hin district at about 3.15am on 19 January.

CCTV footage showed her attacker repeatedly hitting her with an iron bar before taking two mobile phones and a black bag, then fleeing the scene.

She was found behind the reception counter with severe head injuries. Police later recovered the iron bar nearby.

Officers arrested the suspect the following day after a search near railway tracks in Hua Hin.

Court rejects plea for leniency

Although the defendant admitted the offence, the court said the circumstances showed exceptional brutality. It also said he had shown no fear of the law and had caused devastating loss to the victim's family.

The court consequently imposed the death penalty rather than reducing the punishment.

The victim's mother attended the hearing and said the sentence delivered justice for her daughter. She also noted that the ruling was made by the court of first instance and that further legal stages and appeals remain before the case is finally concluded.

Only the second death sentence in Hua Hin court

According to Amarin TV, this was only the second death sentence handed down by Hua Hin Provincial Court.

The earlier case involved the murder of a young girl known as Nong Kaem aboard a train.

The ruling brings the trial stage of the receptionist murder case to a close, although the mother's comments underline that the legal process has not yet ended.

Picture courtesy of Amarin

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10 September 2026

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Ta ta, bye bye now. The sooner the better for scum like this to depart this world.

No need for delay or appeals, he admitted guilt so case closed.

2 hours ago, J Branche said:

Ta ta, bye bye now. The sooner the better for scum like this to depart this world.

No need for delay or appeals, he admitted guilt so case closed.

We'll see. No-one has been executed in Thailand for over eight years. Maybe the sentence will be reduced, perhaps by royal decree, to life in a cockroach infested, stinking, overcrowded prison. Which would be a far better punishment.

7 hours ago, J Branche said:

Ta ta, bye bye now. The sooner the better for scum like this to depart this world.

No need for delay or appeals, he admitted guilt so case closed.

Lawyers need their cut first.. then inject the monster

8 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

We'll see. No-one has been executed in Thailand for over eight years. Maybe the sentence will be reduced, perhaps by royal decree, to life in a cockroach infested, stinking, overcrowded prison. Which would be a far better punishment.

Unless or Until he kills again whilst in prison and his victim may only be serving a short sentence for a minor crime . Snuff him now would be for the best

No sympathy for this criminal, of course.

However, I would like to point out that violent robbery is punished much more severely by the Thai justice system than blokes killing their estranged ex-wives or ex-girlfriends with just as much violence.