PHETCHABUN – On Sunday, Police in Mueang Phetchabun responded to a call over a fatal knife attack near the entrance to the Luang Pu Lamai Herbal Forest. A man stabbed and killed two people before killing himself.
When police arrived at the scene with local hospital staff and rescue volunteers, they found the body of Wandi Yukansawat, 60, by the roadside. She had suffered multiple stab wounds to her neck, back and arm.
Villagers told police the suspect, Chaliao Promlathit, 64, had already fled the scene on a motorcycle heading towards a nearby mountain.
Police followed the rugged trail for about three kilometres and found another man, Yut Kaewkornmuang, 78, dead from knife wounds to the neck. He was lying face down with a pesticide sprayer still strapped to his back. About 100 metres away, officers found Mr. Chaliao.
He had hung himself from a tree with a red nylon rope. Nearby, police recovered a blood-stained knife, believed to be the weapon used in both attacks. Three dogs guarded his body and became aggressive towards police, so his son had to step in and calm them before the police could recover the body.
A police investigation revealed that Mr. Chaliao had recently been charged by forestry officials for clearing protected land behind the herbal forest. He was out on bail and suspected that Wandi and Yut had reported him, which led to his anger.
On the morning of the attacks, Mr. Chaliao rode his motorcycle past Wandi’s residence as he headed to his tamarind orchard. An argument broke out, and he attacked her with a knife. He then fled up the mountain to the orchard, where he found Yut and killed him as well.
Afterwards, he took his own life with the rope he had brought along. Police say they will continue to question those involved to clarify the details behind the incident.
Mr. Chaliao’s son said he knew his father was stressed and angry, suspecting that Wandi and Yut had reported him. He had even said in the days before that if he did anything, he would escape to the mountain to end his life. The family never imagined he would go through with it.
Manus Kaewkornmuang, 52, Yut’s nephew, explained that Wandi, who managed the herbal forest, had once allowed Mr. Chaliao to farm on two rai of land. However, he started clearing more forest, which Wandi tried to stop.
This led to repeated arguments. When forestry officials arrested Chaliao, he assumed Wandi and Yut were responsible for tipping them off. This misunderstanding led to the violent outcome.
