A Jordanian man has allegedly confessed to murdering his 2-year-old son by tying him to a stroller and then throwing it into the sea after quarrelling with his wife in Pattaya.
Wael Nabil Salman Zureikat was detained at Suvarnabhumi airport around 3am on Tuesday as he was about to board a flight back to Jordan.
His arrest followed the discovery of a dead boy, his legs tied to a stroller, floating in the sea off Laem Bali pier, Thai media reported.
The tourist was taken back to Pattaya and during interrogation allegedly confessed to having killed his son. He told police he was angry that his wife paid no attention to their son. She often left him to take care of their child alone. Whenever he complained, she became upset and this led to arguments.
In a fit of anger, he took his son to Laem Bali pier on Friday night, tied the child's legs to the stroller and then threw it into the sea, according to police.
He then returned to their hotel room, where he felt stressed and regretted what he had done. His wife went looking for their missing son. When she could not find the boy, he still did not tell her what happened, the reports said.
He finally decided to return home, but was stopped at Suvarnabhumi airport. The reports made no mention of the man's wife being with him.
The child's body was found floating near Laem Bali Hai pier in South Pattaya on Monday evening. A speedboat driver reported it about 5pm, Pattaya tourist police said.
Police said at the time there were no bruises on the body. The boy was believed to have died 2-3 days earlier. The body was sent to Bang Lamung Hospital.
The Jordanian tourist was being held in custody for further questioning.
