A 50-year-old woman has been arrested in Bangkok nearly two decades after allegedly helping her younger boyfriend attempt to murder her husband in Trang province.
Police from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) apprehended the suspect, identified only as Prapaipat, in front of a company in the Rong Muang area of Pathumwan district of Bangkok on Wednesday.
The woman was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Trang Provincial Court on Sept 13, 2007, on a charge of attempted murder, according to the Central Investigation Bureau, which oversees the CSD.
The case dates back to 2007 when the victim, identified as Kaset, discovered that his wife had been romantically involved with a man named Charoen. The discovery led to a heated confrontation.
His wife and her boyfriend later invited Kaset to meet them at a food shop in an attempt to resolve the dispute. However, another argument erupted while they were travelling home.
Investigators said Charoen kicked the victim’s motorcycle, causing him to crash, before stabbing him and slashing his throat with a knife. Ms Prapaipat reportedly helped restrain the victim during the attack. Believing the victim had died, the two suspects fled the scene.
Officers from the Nong Trut police station in Trang later found that the victim was still alive and rushed him to hospital, where he survived. His testimony became key evidence in obtaining arrest warrants for both suspects.
Charoen was arrested shortly afterwards, convicted and sentenced to prison. He has since completed his sentence.
Ms Prapaipat remained at large for more than 19 years, moving between residences and jobs in several provinces to evade capture.
Police investigators recently learned that she had been working for a transport company in Bangkok and was living inside one of the company’s 10-wheel trucks, driven by her current husband. The officers then arrested her at the company.
During questioning, Ms Prapaipat denied any involvement in the attack. She claimed she was merely present at the scene and had travelled in the same vehicle as the victim, insisting she did not participate in the attempted murder.
She was handed over to investigators at the Nong Trut police station for legal action.