2 Thai men arrested after body found in burned pickup in Trang

Thai police have arrested two men following the discovery of a man's body inside a burned-out pickup truck near Tha Ngio Reservoir in Trang. The arrest comes after a dispute allegedly over a drug deal. The incident occurred on October 6 near Huai Yot district.

Firefighters responded to a call about a vehicle on fire in a roadside forest near the reservoir. Upon extinguishing the flames, they discovered human remains inside the vehicle. Siriluck, a Thai woman, contacted police after seeing a news report about the incident. She believed the deceased was her 37-year-old brother, Theerasak, from Sichon district in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Siriluck had not been able to contact her brother for several days.

Witnesses reportedly saw a tall, thin man wearing a cap near the burning truck before it was discovered. The description matched Theerasak. Forensic investigators confirmed his identity and began investigating the circumstances of his death. Police arrested Nattawut and Pongpisut on October 7 for questioning.

According to investigators, Nattawut had ordered 4,000 methamphetamine tablets from Theerasak for 30,000 baht. He claimed Theerasak only provided 200 tablets, leading to anger and a confrontation. Nattawut reportedly lured Theerasak to a quiet roadside area, where he fatally attacked him with a wooden stick. The pickup was driven to the reservoir, but got stuck in mud before reaching its destination.

The men then set the truck on fire to conceal the death and destroy evidence, with Pongpisut allegedly providing petrol from a nearby grocery shop.