BANGKOK — Miss Yoshimi, a 66-year-old Japanese woman, filed a report at Khlong Tan Police Station in Bangkok, stating that her son, Mr. Takahiro Nishi, aged 36, had disappeared in Thailand after losing contact since 2020. However, she received two emails requesting money from him in 2023.
Investigation revealed that Takahiro entered Thailand on March 5, 2020, through Nong Khai Immigration. He lost contact with his mother via Line on June 29, 2020.
During his stay in Thailand, Takahiro was arrested with a friend named Maresuke T. on November 10, 2020, on embezzlement charges. They were sent to the Southern Bangkok District Court on November 12, 2020. The court allowed only Maresuke to be released on bail on that day.
On November 18, 2020, Takahiro was granted bail, with Maresuke’s Thai wife posting 100,000 baht ($2,810) as surety for each of them.
On March 5, 2021, his visa was extended at Nakhon Sawan Immigration with permission ending in 2022.
On September 8, 2022, an arrest warrant was issued for Takahiro for jumping bail.
On June 9, 2023, Takahiro’s mother in Japan received an email claiming to be from her son requesting 1 million yen ($6,900) for medical treatment. She transferred the money through a Japanese bank.
On June 21, 2023, she received another email requesting 300,000 yen ($2,070), with an attached photo of her son looking emaciated. Feeling suspicious, she didn’t transfer money this time.
Takahiro’s relatives inquired with Immigration and found no record of him leaving Thailand. Fearing for her son’s safety, Miss Yoshimi filed a report at Khlong Tan Police Station on August 5, 2024.
On August 6, Police Colonel Wachirakorn Wongboon, superintendent of Khlong Tan Police Station, met with the investigation team to expedite the search for Takahiro, inviting Mr. Maresuke’s Thai girlfriend for questioning.
Later, Police Major General Noppasilp Poonsawat, Deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau Commander, announced that records from San Sai Police Station in Chiang Mai showed a Thai woman had reported Takahiro’s death due to illness at a residence in San Sai subdistrict on June 8, 2023, at 10 p.m. However, an email requesting money was sent to his mother the following day.
The police have informed the embassy and family that Takahiro’s body is being kept at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital. The cause of death was listed as pneumonia. The family doesn’t dispute the death but wants to confirm the identity. Police will send DNA test results to the family for confirmation.
Meanwhile, Mr. Maresuke has been detained from a rented house in Bangkok’s Ram Inthra area for questioning. His visa was found to have expired, so he will be charged with overstaying.
He will be further investigated regarding the emails requesting money from Takahiro’s mother and the use of a credit card for food and hotel expenses from July 4-6, 2024. The police will continue their investigation to determine if he was involved or if it was someone else.
__________
