BANGKOK – Thai police have announced that there are two suspects of Indian nationality in the murder of Burmese worker A Sai Kyi, 35, who was found dismembered into six parts in a freezer in a commercial building in Bangkok’s Bang Khun Thian district on January 21, 2024. Both men have fled Thailand, but police are confident they will be arrested soon.
On January 22, Pol. Lt. Col. Chakri Ditjai, the investigating officer of Tha Kham police station, stated that Gunalan Deivasigamani, 27, is a suspect in the crime, along with Sundaravel Pragadeesh Kumar, 23.
Police have analysed CCTV evidence, which shows that he purchased the freezer with Kumar and drove the truck that delivered it to the building where the body was discovered. Along with Kumar, he escaped the country to Chennai, India.
In addition, the police have summoned witnesses for questioning, including employees of Kumar’s labour agency, to inquire about his activities in bringing Burmese migrant workers into Thailand. They have also questioned witnesses who saw Kumar and Deivasigamani drive red MG car into the building where the body was found at around 3 p.m. on January 19.
The vehicle was found on Monday, January 22, at a private parking lot in Soi Chula 5, Wang Mai Subdistrict, Pathumwan District, Bangkok, on Saturday, Jan. 20.
Police have also contacted officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to coordinate with the Burmese embassy to transfer A Sai Kyi’s body. The victim had not yet been registered as a legal migrant worker in Thailand.
For Kumar, police found that he had entered Thailand legally and had been in the country for several years. He was initially registered with the Department of Business Development as a trading company, but then founded SIGA GROCERIES Co., Ltd. on September 5, 2022. The company specialises in recruiting migrant workers to work in Thailand, including some who have entered the country illegally, such as A Sai Kyi.
Police questioned a Burmese worker who had traveled to Thailand with A. Sai Kyi. He said their group consisted of six people who wanted to work in Thailand due to political instability in Myanmar. They arrived at the border on January 11 and were then picked up by an Indian facilitator on January 12. The agent demanded 7,000 baht per person to find them work. On January 14, they were then taken to a commercial building in Soi Sakae Ngam 35/3.
When they arrived, Kumar asked them who was the oldest person in the group. A Sai Kyi was the eldest, so he went upstairs to talk to Kumar alone. The other workers do not know what they talked about or if it was the reason for A Sai Kyi’s murder.
Pol. Gen. Torsak Sukvimol, the national police chief, said the police were close to apprehending the suspects. He said he had coordinated with the Indian ambassador to Thailand to get assistance in finding the suspects. Thailand has a good working relationship with India through an extradition treaty.
As for whether the motive for the murder was related to human trafficking, Pol. Gen. Torsak said that more evidence is needed to determine the motive.
Pol. Gen. Torsak also said that India tops the list of countries that have visa-free access to Thailand. He has therefore instructed the Central Police Region commander to work with the FBI to step up checks on foreigners in the region, particularly in Pattaya, to monitor foreigners who may be involved in human trafficking, money laundering or cybercrime. India also has a serious problem with these crimes.
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