Another Suspect Arrested in Death of Actress Nida Patcharaveerapong

All five people who were on a speedboat with Thai actress Nida Patcharaveerapong the night she died will face charges in her death. Patcharaveerapong, a former TV star known as “Tagmo,” fell into the Chao Phyra River in Bangkok on Feb. 24. She was 37. Her death was originally considered an accident, but her mother Panida Sirayuthyothin, and fans had lingering questions about the case.

Tanupat Lerttaweewit, who owned the boat, and helmsman Paibul Trikanchananan were arrested last week, reports Thai PBS World. They were both charged with negligence resulting in the death of another person, giving police false statements, and destroying evidence. On Sunday, Wisapat Manomaikrat turned herself in after a provincial court issued a warrant for her arrest. Manomaikrat, one of the passengers on the boat, was also charged with negligence.

On Monday, Thai PBS World reported that all five people on the boat with Patcharaveerapong are facing charges. Nitas Kiratisoothisathorn and Patcharaveerapong’s manager, Idsarin Juthasuksawat, turned themselves in separately. Kiratisoothisathorn was charged with violating a maritime law and destroying evidence. Juthasuksawat was charged with giving the police a false statement. Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 1 Pol Maj-Gen Udon Yomcharoen, the police spokesman on the case, said police would seek an arrest warrant for another man who allegedly coached the five suspects to respond to the fatal accident.

Juthasuksawat allegedly confessed to lying to the police. She told reporters she never purposefully altered her statements, but she admitted to making a mistake when she told police she saw something she did not personally witness. Juthasuksawat claimed she had been friends with Patcharaveerapong for two decades and loved her.

Sira Jenjaka, a former member of parliament who is Juthasuksawat’s legal advisor, said her client’s previous lawyer gave her the wrong advice. He hoped her confession would lead to a lighter sentence from the court.

Patcharaveerapong died on Feb. 24 after falling from the speedboat. Police first said there was no foul play, but Patcharaveerapong’s sought a second autopsy. The chairman of the Thai Senate committee on human rights, freedom, and consumer protection planned to request police re-open their investigation, while the Justice Ministry also established a panel to review the second autopsy.