Police Hunt Ex-Boyfriend In Five-Province Kidnapping Spree

Police are intensifying their search for a 40-year-old man accused of abducting a 34-year-old woman from Tha Maka district in Kanchanaburi and taking her across five provinces while assaulting her throughout the journey. A Shell gas station attendant in Bang Rin came to the victim's aid after she managed to escape. The victim was allegedly forced at gunpoint and transported southward to Phuket, with the suspect forcing her to stay at hotels where he assaulted her before continuing. Upon reaching Ranong province, the suspect burned the woman's important documents before handing her the car keys, allowing her to escape and seek help from the Shell station. Staff helped her contact relatives and alert police.

The alarming incident was reported to investigators at Ranong City Police Station early in the morning of July 4, 2569, when the 34-year-old victim filed a complaint. She had been threatened on July 3 when the ex-boyfriend, identified as Nattapong, 40, called and threatened to detonate explosives at her workplace clinic in Tha Maka district unless she paid 5,000 baht.

When she met him near Tha Maka School around 10:00 AM, he brandished a black handgun, forced her car door open, and robbed her of 5,000 baht. He then ordered her to drive south toward Phuket province while threatening her with a sharp knife. Along the way, he forced her to stay at a hotel in Damnoen Saduak district in Ratchaburi, where he beat and assaulted her, leaving her with bruises and a swollen mouth. She had to wear a face mask to conceal the injuries during travel.

Around 00:20 on July 4, near Wat Wari Barbot temple in Mueang Ranong district, the suspect stopped the car at a roadside rest area and made the victim, nicknamed Poo Pae, sit outside while he burned her documents to prevent her escape. He then claimed he was too tired to drive and handed her the car keys. Seizing the opportunity, she drove away to the Shell gas station in Bang Rin, about 10 kilometers away, and asked staff for help contacting relatives and police.

At 01:16 on July 4, officers from Bang Rin Police Box and Mueang Ranong Police Station arrived. The victim explained what happened, and police took her to Ranong Hospital for examination before filing a formal complaint. Nattapong faces multiple charges including robbery with a weapon, unlawful detention, assault with a weapon, and physical injury. The victim lost 5,000 baht in cash and several important documents. Deputy Commander Thawatchai Charoen of Mueang Ranong Police ordered investigators and patrol officers to intensify efforts to apprehend the suspect and bring him to justice while providing security for the victim until her relatives return her home.