Thai police arrest suspect in serial killings of homeless
Police in Chiang Mai arrested a 31-year-old homeless man on April 30 who confessed to murdering three other homeless men, including one whose body he burned to conceal the crime.
CHIANG MAI — On May 1, 2026, police in northern Thailand arrested a 31-year-old serial killer who confessed to murdering three homeless men in separate incidents and burning one body to conceal the crime, according to authorities.
At a 10:30 press briefing on May 1, 2026, Provincial Police Region 5 commander Lt. Gen. Kritthaphon Yeesakhon announced that the suspect was captured on the evening of April 30, 2026, near Chang Phueak Market in Chiang Mai. The suspect, identified as Panhae Pooli, was arrested with items believed to have been used in the crimes, including clothing and personal belongings that appeared in surveillance footage.
The investigation began after Chang Phueak police station received a report at 8:15 on April 29, 2026, of a burned body discovered under Rattanakosin Bridge in Chiang Mai. The victim, a 51-year-old homeless man from Mae Hong Son province, had suffered a stab wound to the neck before being set on fire.
A second body was found at 11:13 on April 30, 2026, beneath Khrua Sali Wiang Ping Bridge in the same city. The 46-year-old homeless victim showed injuries and bleeding from the mouth.
Investigators connected these cases to an earlier killing on January 7, 2026, in Chiang Rai, where another homeless man was beaten to death near Singhaklai Road.
Police identified the suspect through CCTV footage showing a man wearing a black sleeveless shirt, red elephant-patterned trousers, and trainers near multiple crime scenes. He was later identified as also being homeless.
Authorities said the suspect confessed to all three murders. He faces charges of intentional murder and concealing a body to obscure the cause of death, and has been transferred to investigators for legal proceedings. Police said the investigation is continuing.
