"‘Antisocial and Disregard for Human Life’... Three Defendants in Thailand Pattaya Drum Barrel Murder Face Maximum Life Imprisonment"

All three defendants in the so-called 'Thailand Pattaya Drum Murder Case' were sentenced to heavy prison terms in the first trial.

The 4th Criminal Division of Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam (Chief Judge Kim In-taek) delivered the first trial verdict on the 16th for two defendants in the so-called 'Thailand Pattaya Drum Murder Case.'

The court sentenced 26-year-old Mr. A to 25 years in prison, 28-year-old Mr. B to life imprisonment, and a man in his 40s, Mr. C, to 30 years in prison.

Additionally, the court ordered them to wear electronic location tracking devices for 10 years.

Three defendants going to the detention warrant hearing in the 'Thailand Pattaya Drum Murder Case.' Photo by Se-ryeong Lee

According to the court, Mr. A and others were indicted on charges of kidnapping, murdering, mutilating the body, and abandoning the corpse of a Korean tourist in his 30s in Pattaya, Thailand, around May 3.

They had been making a living by phone financial fraud (voice phishing), but when their income became insufficient, they conspired to kidnap a Korean tourist and extort money.

On the day of the incident, they met the victim at a club in Bangkok, Thailand, gave him alcohol containing drugs, and then took the intoxicated victim to a prepared accommodation by car, claiming they would take him to his lodging.

During the ride, when the victim resisted, saying the direction was wrong, Mr. B strangled the victim’s neck and violently beat his face and upper body. Mr. A, who was in the passenger seat, tried to bind the victim using tools, and Mr. C, who was driving, stopped the car and also assaulted the victim.

The assault mostly took place during the 55-minute trip to the accommodation, and the victim died from circulatory failure and respiratory distress.

The group mutilated parts of the deceased victim’s body, placed them in a prepared rubber drum with cement, solidified it, and threw it into the Pattaya Map Prachan Reservoir to conceal the evidence.

They transferred 3.7 million won from the victim’s account to their own accounts using the victim’s mobile phone and called the victim’s family, pretending the victim was alive, demanding a ransom of about 100 million won, but the attempt failed.

After the crime, the suspects fled but were sequentially caught in Korea, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and were brought to trial while in custody.

In the sentencing hearing held in December last year, the prosecution requested life imprisonment for Mr. A and the death penalty for Mr. B and Mr. C.

Local Thai police are examining a body inside a drum barrel retrieved from Maprachan Lake in Pattaya. Photo by Khaosod

On this day, the court stated, “The defendants planned and conspired the crime, mercilessly strangled and beat the neck of a victim they had never met, causing death,” and added, “Despite this, they did not realize their wrongdoing and even concealed the corpse out of fear of being caught.”

It also said, “Rather than sincerely apologizing or reflecting to the victim and the bereaved families, they shifted responsibility to other defendants or consistently made unreasonable excuses, showing an attitude of evading responsibility.”

Furthermore, the court said, “The fear and pain the victim, who died at the age of 34 abroad for unknown reasons, must have felt until the last moment are beyond words,” and “The victim’s parents, who lost their youngest and only son, and the sisters who lost their brother are also going through unbearable days of grief and sorrow.”

The court noted that Mr. A and others “show antisocial and anti-human tendencies that disregard means and methods to achieve their goals,” indicating a possibility of reoffending.

In particular, regarding Mr. B, the court pointed out, “He has four prior prison sentences, led the robbery-murder crime, and exhibited extreme disregard for human life by performing bizarre acts such as jumping and cursing on the victim’s corpse.”

The victim’s father, who was battling cancer at the time of the incident, nearly stopped eating and drinking after hearing the news about his son and passed away on November 14 last year. The victim’s mother, sisters, and other family members are reported to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

A bereaved family member who attended the trial said, “I want to ask if my brother’s life is worth only this much,” and cried out, “At least the main perpetrator should receive the death penalty.”

“Although guilt was recognized for all charges, the sentencing is difficult to accept,” they said. “We will continue to request the disclosure of the criminals’ identities and plan to appeal after consulting with the prosecutor.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.