Father of Japanese Tourist Tomoko Kawashita Killed in Sukhothai Province, Pleads for Action

 

BANGKOK – The Father of Tomoko Kawashita who was killed in Sukhothai province during a holiday eight years ago, has called on Thai authorities to speed up an investigation into the murder of his daughter.

Yasuaki Kawashita, 66, met yesterday with Cabinet secretary-general Wilas Aroonsri to demand that the culprit be brought to justice.

Tomoko Kawashita, 25, from Osaka, was found dead with her throat slashed near a temple in Sukhothai historical park on Nov 25, 2007.

Tomoko Kawashita had saved money for her Thailand trip by taking extra jobs and was especially attracted to the Loy Krathong festival, her parents said.

Shigekazu Sato, the Japanese Ambassador to Thailand, accompanied Kawashita to the meeting at Government House yesterday, also with a number of Japanese reporters.

After emerging from the meeting, Kawashita said Wilas had pledged to strive his hardest to follow up on the case. “He said he has daughters too and understands my loss,” the Japanese father said.

Kawashita said he was told that his daughter’s case had been transferred to the Department of Special Investigation and that local police and Sukhothai residents were cooperative.

“I’ve heard that the police will also offer a bounty of Bt500,000 for any tip-off leading to the arrest of the murderer,” he said.

Kawashita urged the Thai media to continue reporting on the case and find his daughter’s camera, which he believed might provide crucial evidence.

Justice Minister General Paiboon Koomchaya, who also met with Kawashita and the ambassador, said Japanese authorities would be allowed to jointly examine evidence in the case in response to the submitted request, “so it’s clear to both sides”.

Paiboon said Thai authorities would investigate issues raised by the victim’s family, but he had no idea when the case might be solved.

By Anapat Deechuay