Thai influencer, 26 allegedly shot dead by ex-boyfriend while on video call with current partner

A 26-year-old Thai woman with over 200,000 TikTok followers was allegedly shot dead by her ex-boyfriend in Saraburi province in Thailand on Jun. 8, while she was on a video call with her current partner.

According to Thaiger, the victim, known as Pon, worked at a petrol station in the area. Her body was found beside her white Honda Jazz on Phahon Yothin Road, with gunshot wounds to the back and neck. Her two-year-old child was discovered inside the vehicle, uninjured.

Met under offer of fuel

According to Guang Ming Daily, Pon had been driving when she apparently ran low on fuel. Her ex-boyfriend, Beer, aged 42, had previously worked as an oil tanker driver and allegedly arranged to meet her, offering to bring a fuel canister.

While refuelling, Pon was on a video call with her current partner, Kla. He told police he heard an argument break out, followed by gunshots, before her phone dropped and the line went dead.

Beer allegedly fled the scene in a truck after the shooting. Nine-millimetre shell casings were found at the scene.

A complicated relationship

Police believe the killing was driven by a combination of personal and professional grievances. According to Thaiger, Pon had previously been in a relationship with Kla, with whom she had a child. The two separated, after which she dated Beer for a period before breaking up with him and reconciling with Kla.

Beer was reportedly deeply unhappy about being dumped, and the situation worsened when Pon informed her workplace supervisor about alleged misconduct by Beer, resulting in his dismissal several days before the incident. Police believed this was an additional motive.

Suspect found dead after chase

Police tracked Beer's vehicle to the Friendship Highway in Nakhon Ratchasima, where a high-speed chase ensued. The pursuit ended when his tyre gave out. When officers approached the vehicle, they found him dead inside, believed to have taken his own life.

Prior to the incident, Beer had reportedly contacted a friend to borrow money, allegedly to fund an escape. He allegedly denied that the killing was driven by jealousy or a relationship dispute, per Thaiger.