BANGKOK – A Taiwanese businessman was arrested in Bangkok as a suspect who hired gunmen to kill his own son, his wife, and his son’s lawyer with wages as high as 500,000 baht per person due to family business conflicts.
On December 22, 2023, Thai Crime Suppression Division Police and special forces arrested Mr. Feng-Hao Chang, a Taiwanese businessman, at his residence in Phan Srinakarin Village, Srinakarin Road, Nong Bon Subdistrict, Prawet District, Bangkok, as well as raided eight locations in three provinces—Chonburi, Samut Prakan, and Bangkok—to arrest suspects in a murder-for-hire case.
The operation stems from a complaint by Mr. James, Mr. Feng’s son, who stated that he was being monitored continuously and was worried about being in danger. He had to return his mother to Taiwan, so he went to report to the Crime Suppression Division.
Mr. James told the police that he and his father had a dispute over being the director of a company that manufactured and exported electronic equipment worth more than a billion baht. This corporation has been in operation since 1999, with his father, his mother, and himself serving as directors. In 2022, the son sued his father in over 20 civil and criminal lawsuits to have his father’s name removed from the board of directors of the corporation, claiming that the father embezzled company money.
The investigation team then pursued and detained a group of gunmen who were following Mr. James. All three gunmen acknowledged that Mr. Feng had offered them 500,000 baht each to kill James, his mother, and his lawyer. But they have changed their minds because of a pay cut.
After gathering evidence and obtaining search warrants from the court, police rushed to the targeted places before arresting all three main suspects, who were in their residence. The three suspects seemed unaware that they would be arrested because they had thought the gunmen had already killed the victims.
Aside from Mr. Feng, the second command-level suspect is RAdm. Prakaipruk Srifa, 64, who was previously employed as a consultant for Mr. Feng’s company. He was apprehended at his home in the Khlong Song Ton Nun Subdistrict of Lat Krabang District.
RAdm. Prakaipruk is the one who contacted the third command-level suspect, Thewarat Mangkorn, 66, a former navy seal convicted of murdering a police officer in 2006, to arrange for three gunmen. He had been sentenced to life in jail but had just lately been released.
Police seized evidence in Thewarat’s house in Thawi Watthana district, including 3 hand grenades, 6 rounds of 5.56 mm rifle ammo, M79 grenades, 1.357 caliber handgun, a body armour vest, 1 set of ammunition, and 2 cars.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Sophon Sarapat, deputy commander of the Central Police Bureau, stated that Feng, Prakaipruk, and Thewarat were charged with being people who use another person to commit the crime of killing another person with premeditation.
All three suspects denied the accusation. However, the authorities indicated that the crime had already been committed by paying someone to murder the target. Even though the gunmen had not yet committed the crime, they were required by law to receive a third of the punishment.
