CHONBURI, Thailand —
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has traveled to the Pattaya area on Saturday afternoon to personally follow the investigation into the deaths of two Russian siblings and three members of a Thai family, a case that has drawn widespread international attention and raised concerns about public safety and the country’s international image.
Anutin said the brutal killings had damaged Thailand’s safe reputation for tourists and called for severe punishment if the suspects are convicted, while insisting they must receive no special assistance. He described the crimes as tantamount to “killing the entire Thai nation” because they undermined efforts to build trust among foreign visitors and residents.
The prime minister is expected to attend a police briefing on the case after cutting short a planned visit to Suphan Buri, where he had intended to meet local MPs and inspect several areas, including a demonstration rice field.
The investigation centres on the disappearance and subsequent discovery of the bodies of Diana Nazimova, 22, and her brother Roman Nazimov, 17. The Russian siblings, who had lived in Thailand with their mother since 2021, who went missing on the morning of 26 July after leaving their home to go to a convenience store in the Huai Yai subdistrict on a Honda ADV 150 motorcycle.
Two suspects, Thana Kerdthong, 43, also known as Pong, an ex-convict, and Thongchai Srinil, 39, known as Thong, were arrested on July 31st in the Wang Sombun district of Sa Kaeo province while allegedly attempting to flee to another country. Both confessed to killing the siblings in an attempt to steal their motorcycle that was met with resistance. However, Thong is claiming he was forced to do everything by Pong and has blamed the entire situation and murders on Pong. According to police, the pair encountered the Russians, restrained them after allegedly pretending to be law enforcement officers, shot the younger brother and fatally assaulted the sister after they resisted the attempt to take their bike, before burying their bodies in a forested area of Huai Yai, about two kilometres from the scene of the killings. The motorcycle was dismantled and buried separately.
The siblings’ remains were recovered late on Friday night after the suspects led officers to the burial site. Initial examinations indicated the brother had been shot in the head and abdomen, while the sister showed signs of severe physical assault; however, no preliminary evidence of sexual assault was reported.
Questioning of the suspects quickly expanded the probe. They were linked to the earlier disappearance of a Thai family of three, Wichian, 53, Chantana, 50, and their 18-year-old daughter Nichapha, who had been reported missing in mid-June after relatives lost contact with them. Their bodies were later found buried in a nearby coconut plantation. Investigators said the alleged motive was robbery, with the suspects and two alleged accomplices reportedly entering the family’s home late at night. Two other suspects in that case remain at large.
Police have described the principal suspects as former prisoners with extensive histories of drug-related issues who had recently been released. Provincial Police Region 2 Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Chatchai Surachetphong said parts of the confessions aligned with physical evidence, and officers continue to gather forensic details and pursue remaining suspects.
Anutin stressed the need for a swift, thorough and rigorous investigation, saying that the case must be handled with maximum severity under the law to restore public confidence. Authorities have also indicated they will provide full facilitation to the Russian victims’ family, including assistance with repatriation of the remains. Two men who assisted in burying the motorbike were also arrested earlier but claimed to have nothing to do with the bodies or killings, police are investigating this.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
