Fugitive Arrested After 17 Years in Murder Case
A man wanted for 17 years in a 2009 murder case was arrested at a temple in Sakon Nakhon province after shooting his employer and dumping the body in a river over a labor dispute.
Police arrested Asda, alias 'Hngad Tha Bo,' a 45-year-old man ranked 84th on the national wanted list, on July 25, 2025. He was apprehended at the parking area of Chantraram Temple (Dong Somboon Temple) in Sang Khwaeng subdistrict, Mueang district, Sakon Nakhon province, under a warrant from Nakhon Phanom Provincial Court dated September 11, 2552 (2009) on charges of intentional murder.
According to the investigation, in August 2552 (2009), while working as his employer's driver, Asda lured his intoxicated boss into the vehicle en route to Wang Yang district, Nakhon Phanom. At a curve, he shot the employer in the head and dumped the body into the Kam River near the bridge between Din Dam Mak Fueang and Nong Kaen in Yot Chad subdistrict, Wang Yang district. He then fled in the employer's vehicle.
Police believe the motive stemmed from anger over frequent scolding by his boss, combined with knowledge that the employer regularly carried large amounts of cash. For 17 years, Asda evaded capture by living hand-to-mouth, taking odd jobs, and staying in temples and worker camps. He was eventually apprehended while working as a driver for the abbot of Thung Rung Thong Temple in Sakon Nakhon.
During initial questioning, Asda denied being the shooter, claiming his employer was killed by business rivals in the timber trade and that he panicked and fled. Police remain skeptical and have transferred him to Wang Yang police station for further legal proceedings.
