Police ‘had to kill’ murder suspect

Somsak, who police said was a drug dealer who had served several prison sentences, was wanted for the murder of his girlfriend's 34-year-old ex-boyfriend Chaiprasit Boonlert. He was fatally assaulted at Somsak's house in Samut Prakran’s Bang Sao Thong district on February 2 and his body was then buried in woods in Chachoengsao’s Ban Pho district to conceal the crime, the police said. 

Police traced Somsak's movements from Ubon Ratchathani to Yasothon where the suspect had hijacked two trucks and one motorcycle along the way in his escape. He had allegedly reached the Pracha Ruamjai intersection at 7pm on Tuesday where he tried to hijack a third pickup. It was unlocked and waiting for a green light and police feared for the safety of the driver, Pinyo said. 
The suspect sustained multiple gunshots - three in an arm, one in the chest, one in the stomach, one in the leg and two in back - because he also shot at officers, Pinyo said.

National police spokesman Colonel Krissana Pattanacharoen also said the armed suspect was killed because he resisted arrest. He said police will work on four cases related to Somsak; the investigation into Chaiprasit's fatal assault allegedly committed by Somsak; the case report on a post-mortem to determine Somsak's cause of unnatural death; the investigation into the claim that Somsak had resisted police's arrest; and the investigation into the fatal shooting of Somsak in Yasothon.

Deputy police commissioner General Chalermkiat Srivorakan, meanwhile, announced to the press conference in Bangkok the arrest of the other five suspects, including Somsak's girlfriend Plaethip Lokrak, 22, whose chat messages allegedly lured the victim to the murder scene, and Somsak's male friends and subordinates Wisarut Heep-ngern, 28, Kittipong Jongjaroenpaisal, 24, Tinnakorn Sukcharoen, 40, and Thanomsak Deesala, 35.

They were charged with conspiring in the assault and concealing the body to hide the cause of death. 
One more suspect, Jakkrit Noisawat, who was accused of helping to bury the body, was taken into custody from a prison where he was detained over a separate drug possession charge, Chalermkiat added.
Chalermkiat said Plaethip told police that the motive of the murder was Somsak's jealously and alleged use of her Facebook messenger to lure her ex-boyfriend to the assault.

Somsak had Kitisak, Thanomsak and Wisarut dispose of the body and motorcycle in Soi Wat Bua Roy, Bang Sao Thong. But after police found the victim's motorcycle, Somsak had Tinnakorn and Jakkrit move the body to bury in it in Chachoengsao. 
Police said they later brought the suspects to re-enact the motorcycle and body disposal in the two provinces.