Death on border a ‘suicide’ [A Thai soldier committed suicide on the Cambodian border]

Vong Sokheng with additional reporting by David Boyle
Monday, 23 January 2012
The Phnom Penh Post

A Thai soldier found dead last week just inside Cambodian territory after a volley of gunshots was heard by nearby troops has been deemed to have committed suicide by Cambodian military police.

Army captain Suwit Wongchai was found dead in Battambang province’s Kamrieng district on Thursday after he strayed about 10 metres inside Cambodian territory at O’Chrey village, district military police official Bouy Salith said yesterday.

“We heard a gun fire four times and, immediately after the shots, Thai and Cambodian border police communicated with each other,” he said.

“At the scene, both Cambodian and Thai police found the dead body of Suwit. Both [sides] conducted preliminary examinations over the body, found one shot in his chest and concluded that he had committed suicide.”

The three other shots had likely been fired in the air, he said, adding that subsequent investigations by both sides the following day concluded that the man’s wife had been having an affair and confirmed he had committed suicide.

A Thai military source close to defence spokesman Thanatip Sawangsaeng could not confirm details of the incident and Thai Foreign Affairs spokesman Thani Thongpakdee said he was unaware of the incident.