CHIANG RAI – On Sunday, August 31, 2025, police were called to a fatal assault at a corn field in Ban Mae Phun Lang, Village 9, Wiang Sub-district, Wiang Pa Pao District, Chiang Rai province. The incident involved a man who was struck multiple times with a machete.
Police report that at around 11.15 am on 30 August 2025, Pol. Lt. Trongsawit Saenyawut from Wiang Pa Pao Police Station in Chiang Rai received a report about a fatal assault near a corn field by Ban Mae Phun Lang, Village 9, Wiang Sub-district, Wiang Pa Pao District, Chiang Rai.
He went straight to the scene, where he was joined by a doctor from Wiang Pa Pao Hospital and volunteers from Sawang Wiang Pa Pao Dhammasathan Foundation. At the scene, next to the road, near some banana trees and close to the corn field.
Police officers found the body of a man later identified as Mr. Jika (surname withheld), 58, who lived in Village 9, Wiang Sub-district, Wiang Pa Pao District. He was wearing a vest, a long-sleeved shirt, trousers, and black rubber shoes.
A deep wound, about 10-15cm long, was visible on his head, likely caused by a hard object. Not far from the body, officers found a machete with its sheath, a green fertilizer sack believed to belong to the victim, and a metal pipe roughly two feet in length.
Early checks suggested Mr. Jika died about an hour before authorities arrived.
Family members told police that Mr. Jika had left home to pick corn to sell and had never had disputes with others before. Police believe the main suspect is Mr. Pa-ded (surname withheld), 35, the son of the victim, who lived in a hut near the corn field.
Mr. Pa-ded reportedly abused methamphetamine and often got into fights, including previous arguments with his father.
Officers think that, under the influence of drugs and possibly experiencing hallucinations, Mr. Pa-ded encountered Mr. Jika as he walked near the hut and attacked him, leading to his death.
Police have taken Mr. Pa-ded in for questioning and health checks, and will continue their investigation as required by law.
Homicide and Drug Abuse in Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai sits in northern Thailand near the borders of Myanmar and Laos. Its location in the Golden Triangle has made it a key area for drug trafficking and production.
This has led to growing concerns about violent crime tied to drug addiction, especially methamphetamine, known locally as “ya ba”.
Easy access to meth pills and crystal meth has fuelled widespread addiction and sparked a rise in violent incidents. One tragic example from May 2025 saw a man in Chiang Rai, high on meth and heroin, kill his two-year-old stepdaughter during a drug-fuelled rage.
Cases like this reveal how addiction destroys families and puts entire communities at risk.
Research shows meth use is more common in Chiang Rai than almost anywhere else in the world. Most users are young adults and teenagers. This pattern feeds ongoing social problems and increases the risk of violence. A study by Chiang Mai University in 2007 found that shootings were the main cause of homicide in northern Thailand. Nearly one in ten of these deaths involved people who tested positive for meth.
Economic struggles and a lack of support for people with addiction problems make matters worse. Strict drug laws and harsh penalties do little to break the cycle of drug use and crime. Families are left to cope with the pain alone, as the community continues to be affected by these issues.
Programmes like Siam Rehab in Chiang Rai try to help those fighting addiction with a focus on recovery. Still, the scale of meth use and related violence calls for bigger changes in how the problem is handled. There is a growing need for better health services, more treatment options, and policy changes to tackle the causes of drug crime and save lives.
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