Japanese man, 83, slain

The body of Kasuo Yoshitoka was found with multiple stab wounds and his throat cut in the second-floor bedroom at around 6am by his Thai wife Paranee Napadol, 48. She told police that Yoshitoka, who had returned from Japan six days ago, was alive when she left the house the previous night to stay at her mother’s. She said her husband’s cash was missing.

Police found signs of a break-in to the house through a window and the place was ransacked for valuables. There were also signs of a struggle with fingerprints and footprints, suspected to be from the killer, at the scene.

The police probe found a male relative of Paranee, who didn’t get along with Yoshitoka and had allegedly been involved in drug abuse, left his house unlocked and there were bloodstains on the relative’s house front. Another person told police the man had tried to borrow a motorcycle at 10pm but it didn’t start, before he disappeared. Police are now looking for this person of interest.

Later yesterday, Wiset Chaichan superintendent Pol Colonel Peerapan Chanthian led the Japanese Embassy’s second secretary and consul Kenichi Tsukagoshi and members of the foreign media to inspect the scene for clues and assistance with procedures regarding Yoshitoka’s body.