Police insist a 36-year-old man who allegedly killed his girlfriend, chopped her onto 14 pieces and dumped her body in Klong Sam Wa district two weeks ago is not mentally ill.
"He gave a coherent and lucid account [of the killing]," said Metropolitan Police Division 3 deputy chief Chanwit Poompoh, referring to Thanakrit Prakob, who allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend, Laksana Kamlangkeng, 24, on June 12.
The suspect, arrested on Saturday, appeared tense and agitated after being taken into custody, Pol Col Chanwit said, adding other inmates in the cell at the police station were asked to talk to him to calm him down.
The suspect, who is being held at Min Buri police station, has not eaten food provided by police, he said.
Mr Thanakrit said the killing was not planned and that he acted alone, Pol Col Chanwit said.
After the killing, the suspect did not go on the run as he was confident nobody would be able to identify the corpse, the officer said. Investigators were in the process of questioning more witnesses and waiting for the forensic examination results, he said.
Police will take the suspect to court today to seek to keep him in custody, the officer said.
"He is from Satun. His mother died when he was young and his father passed away when he was 20," said Pol Col Chanwit.
He said the suspect had also lost his wife six years ago. She died along with her unborn twins after being savaged by a dog.
"Police have contacted the suspect's relatives in Satun about his case, but they distanced themselves from him and said they did not want to become involved," the officer said.
The suspect has been initially charged with manslaughter and the concealment of a body.
Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) deputy commander Sompong Chingduang has reportedly ordered Pol Col Chanwit to set up a team to investigate circumstances behind the killing more thoroughly.
The investigators would see if there was evidence that would justify a premeditated murder charge against the suspect.
According to the sources, Mr Thanakrit's new girlfriend, who works at a convenience store, had nothing to do with the killing.
The sources said the victim's missing right arm had now been discovered.
The case hit the headlines after a Romsai Rescue Foundation worker found a human head in a backpack lying in bushes along Sam Wa Road in eastern Bangkok's Khlong Sam Wa district on Thursday night. Other pieces of the victim's body were found soon after. Laksana was then later identified from her fingerprints.
Her identity led police to Mr Thanakrit, who used to live with the victim in a Min Buri apartment before they broke up.
The suspect allegedly told investigators that jealousy led him to kill Laksana on June 12. Laksana, had decided to move back in with her ex-husband, police said.
