Thai Police Seek Interpol Red Notice for Lim Kimya Murder Suspect

red notice
Police escort suspect Sergeant M (Ekkalak Paenoi), accused of shooting former Cambodian opposition MP Lim Kimya, to detention at the Criminal Court in Bangkok on January 13. On January 15, the court approved an arrest warrant for Ratanakraksmey Ly, 43, a Cambodian national also known in Thailand as Somwang (inset), for allegedly masterminding the murder.

BANGKOK — Thai authorities are pursuing an Interpol red notice for a Cambodian suspect believed to have orchestrated the assassination of Lim Kimya, a former Cambodian opposition lawmaker. Latest evidence points to personal vendetta.

The suspect, identified as Ratanakraksmey Ly, 43, also known in Thailand as Somwang Bamrungkit, allegedly hired the gunman who killed Lim in Bangkok’s historic district on January 7.

The Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Somwang on January 15, following evidence linking him to the hired killer, Ekkalak Paenoi (Sergeant M). Investigators uncovered financial transactions and communications between Somwang and the gunman through mobile phone analysis.

Somwang becomes the fourth suspect to face arrest warrants in this case, following Sergeant M, Kimrin Pich, and Chakit Buaplee – the latter accused of helping the gunman escape across the border. The charges against Somwang include conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and illegal possession of firearms in public areas.

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Police escort Chakit Buaplee, who is accused of helping gunman Sergeant M (Ekkalak Paenoi) flee across the border, to detention at the Criminal Court on January 14, 2025.

National Police Chief Pol Gen Kittirat Panpetch revealed that while the case was solved within hours of the shooting, the investigation uncovered a personal vendetta as the primary motive. “I can confirm as the National Police Chief that this case is not politically motivated but stems from personal conflicts between the mastermind and the victim,” he stated.

Metropolitan Police Division 1 commander Pol Maj Gen Atthaporn Wongsiripreeda disclosed that the suspect had frequently traveled to Thailand, making over 100 border crossings in the past two years. Records show Somwang entered Thailand on January 6 after 10 p.m., stayed in Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province, and left for Cambodia through official channels on the morning of January 8 – just hours after the assassination.

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Police officers from Chana Songkhram Police Station cordon off the area where Lim Kimya, a 74-year-old Cambodian political activist, was shot dead near Wat Bowonniwet Vihara temple in Phra Nakhon district on January 7, 2025.
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The gunman eventually cooperated with investigators, revealing that Somwang harbored personal grievances against Lim Kimya. Notably, the shooter claimed he was unaware of the victim’s political background and merely acted on physical descriptions provided by his employer.

Authorities are working with international law enforcement to locate and extradite Somwang to face charges in Thailand. While his business activities in Thailand remain unclear, investigators found he maintained connections in Pattaya and had been financially supporting Sergeant M, who had previously faced disciplinary actions in his police service.

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