Pattaya Drum Barrel Murder Defendant Claims "I Was at the Scene but Did Not Commit the Crime"

Victim's Family: "There Will Be No Settlement of Any Kind"

The defendant in the 'Thailand Pattaya Drum Murder Case,' who was arrested in Korea, denied all charges during the first trial. The victim's family expressed their anger, stating, "There will be no settlement of any kind."

The 4th Criminal Division of the Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam (Presiding Judge Kim Intaek) held the first trial on the 25th for A, a man in his 20s, who was indicted on charges including robbery-murder and concealment of a corpse.

A was arrested and indicted on charges of kidnapping and murdering B, a Korean tourist in his 30s, together with two other Korean accomplices in Pattaya, Thailand, in May, and disposing of the body in a reservoir.

A suspect in his 20s in the Thai Pattaya Drum Murder Case, who was caught in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, is heading to the court for a pretrial detention hearing.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

According to the prosecution, A and others made B drink alcohol laced with drugs at a club in Thailand, intoxicated him, then put him in a pre-arranged vehicle and moved him to a condo they had booked as the crime scene.

When the intoxicated B protested that they were going in the wrong direction, they strangled him and beat him with their fists, resulting in his death.

During this process, A was found to have restrained B by holding him down.

After B died, they transferred hundreds of thousands of won from B's mobile phone via account transfer, then returned to their accommodation, put B's body in a drum, and dumped it in a nearby reservoir.

At the trial, A's defense attorney completely denied the charges, stating, "He did not participate in the crime nor did he conspire."

"It is true that he was in the vehicle with B at the time of B's death, but he did not participate in the murder and even tried to provide aid," the attorney argued.

They further claimed, "He was not at the scene where the body was concealed," and asserted that the other two accomplices must have sealed B's body in the drum and disposed of it in the reservoir.

The bereaved family of the victim in the drum murder case in Pattaya, Thailand, is urging strict punishment for the perpetrator, the repatriation of the perpetrator detained overseas, and a public manhunt for the perpetrator currently on the run.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

After the trial, B's family met with reporters and said, "I could not contain my anger seeing his unrepentant attitude and efforts to reduce his sentence," emphasizing, "There will be no settlement of any kind with the perpetrators."

"The defendant has hired 10 lawyers from a major law firm and is denying all his crimes," they said, questioning, "Is it possible for someone to lure, kidnap, assault, and murder a complete stranger without mutual agreement, when all were present at the scene?"

The family further stated, "It is deeply regrettable that the trial is proceeding solely based on the defendant's testimony," and urged, "Please expedite the extradition of the perpetrator detained in Cambodia and issue a wanted notice for the perpetrator currently on the run."

"If possible, I would even offer a reward to ensure the fugitive is caught. I ask the Korean police to investigate more actively," they said, adding, "I earnestly request that the harshest punishment permitted by law be imposed on the perpetrators."

This case came to light after the victim's mother reported to the police on the 7th of last month that she had received a threatening call from an unknown person saying, "A has caused harm by discarding drugs, so if you don't send 3 million baht (about 112 million won), he will be killed."

After the crime, A returned to Korea and was arrested in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, on the 12th of last month. C, another man in his 20s, was caught in Cambodia, Thailand, on the 14th and is currently detained there. Another accomplice, D, a man in his 30s, is still on the run.

Korean police are coordinating with local authorities regarding C's extradition and are tracking D, who remains at large. It is expected that a decision on C's extradition will be made around mid-July.

The next trial is scheduled to be held at 11:10 a.m. on July 23 in the same courtroom.