Suspect Behind Korean Man's Gruesome Death In Pattaya Arrested

South Korean police have arrested a man suspected of being involved in the murder of a Korean tourist in Pattaya, Thailand.

According to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency, a Korean man in his 20s was apprehended at his home in the Northern Jeolla Province on May 12, Sunday, for allegedly killing a man and abandoning his body in a reservoir in Pattaya. The suspect was placed under emergency arrest.

The police believe that there are two other suspects behind the kidnapping and murder of the 34-year-old Korean man in Pattaya, both suspected to be Korean nationals.

download - 2024-05-16T064522.018 — (Left) CCTV footage of Roh with his companions and (right) the barrel where his body was found | *theqoo*

The victim, identified by his surname, Roh, had entered Thailand for travel purposes on April 30 and was reported missing on May 7. Roh’s mother reached out to the Korean Embassy in Thailand, stating that she had received a ransom call on that day from an unknown man who demanded 3 million Thai baht ($81,500) in exchange for Roh’s life. The man reportedly told the mother that Roh had thrown away their drugs, causing them financial damage, and gave her till May 8 to send them the money, threatening that they would dismember his body and sell his organs in the black market otherwise.

Upon the request of the Korean embassy, Thai Police lead an extensive investigation, tracing down Roh and his companions’ movements on May 7 through CCTV footage. Roh’s body was found near the Mabprachan reservoir inside a barrel filled with cement. Thai authorities are still conducting post-mortem procedures to determine the cause of death.