KHON KAEN – A drinking session between two friends in Khon Kaen ended in tragedy after one man accused the other of being a ghost before bludgeoning him to death with a hammer, police said.
Wichan Khunsri, 59, was taken into custody on Thursday morning after the incident in Ban Non Kham Pae village in Kut Nam Sai subdistrict of Nam Phong district, said Pol Col Chumphon Buachum, superintendent of the Nam Phong police station.
Investigators said Mr Wichan and his friend Banjong Daphaeng, 57, had been drinking white liquor together in a hut the suspect owned near the village when an argument broke out.
During the dispute, Mr Wichan reportedly accused Banjong of being a Phi Pop, a cannibalistic ghost in Thai folklore, before retrieving a hammer from inside the hut and attacking him.
The suspect repeatedly struck the victim on the head and body approximately 20 times, causing severe injuries, said Pol Col Chumphon. The victim was rushed to Nam Phong Hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
The suspect did not attempt to flee and remained at the scene when officers arrived. Mr Wichan was then taken into custody and handed over to investigators to face a charge of assault causing death.
