One of the five boat buddies — i.e. “witnesses” — of Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong has confessed to causing the vessel to “lurch,” tossing the celebrity actress overboard where she drowned in the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi on the night of February 24, the Bangkok Post reported police as saying Tuesday.
Phaiboon “Robert” Trikanjananun, told investigators he had little experience steering boats, so he wanted to try taking the speedboat for a spin that night, said deputy commissioner of the Provincial Police Region 1, Pol Maj Gen Udorn Yomcharoen. According to the officer, Robert’s story goes like this…
That night, he and five friends, including Tangmo, were on an evening speedboat trip in the Chao Phraya River. (After dinner, they were drinking wine.) While he was steering the speedboat, he suddenly lurched it forward, causing Tangmo to topple overboard as she was about to stand up in the stern of the boat.
It remains unclear whether Robert’s reported aggressive maneuvering of the boat was intentional or an accident. But witnesses and existing evidence points to death caused by negligence, not murder, according to Royal Thai Police spokesman Pol Maj Gen Yingyos Thepjamnong.
Robert had earlier seemed to evade police interviews, claiming high blood pressure and hypertension. He participated in a reenactment of the event with police on March 2.
Most recently, he reportedly refused to give a hair sample so the forensics team could conduct a DNA test, saying he had gotten a hair transplant. It also fuel speculation online that the man in question was not the same man on the boat that night.
The officer also confirmed that the five boat buddies have admitted to drinking alcohol that night — hence the divers recovering Tangmo’s discarded wine glass from the bottom of the river and a wine bottle Robert had stashed at his home after the incident. Divers also found a bag, though its content have not been divulged.
Currently, Robert and the boat owner “Por” stand charged with operating an unlicensed vessel and recklessness leading to death. But Robert may also face a charge of attempting to destroy evidence. Last week police said all five boat buddied could be charged with negligence leading to death and giving false statements.
Regarding the deep cut on Tangmo’s left thigh, the officer said that police would have to wait about a week from now for further forensic examination results to determine its cause, which may lead to another charge. But police also said yesterday that the case would be closed on Friday — in time for three days of Christian memorial services for the beloved actress.
PHOTO: CCTV footage shows the speedboat with a large outboard motor on the Chao Phraya River on the night of February 24, 2022. Credit: Thai netizen sleuths
SOURCE: Bangkok Post | The Thaiger | YouTube | anon Thai netizen sleuths