Fugitive inmate Chaowalit Thongduang, also known as “Sia Paeng Nanod,” who escaped from a hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat last October and later engaged in a shootout with police, has been arrested in Indonesia after seven months on the run.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin confirmed the arrest on Thursday after being briefed by Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong at Government House. Pol Col Tawee reported that Indonesian police apprehended Chaowalit on the resort island of Bali on Thursday morning.
Chaowalit, who had been using a fake Indonesian passport, moved cautiously around the country, pretending to be mute since he couldn’t speak the local language. He mainly stayed in Medan and Bali. During a video call, Chaowalit admitted he was cornered, and Pol Col Tawee encouraged him to re-enter the justice system, assuring him of his safety.
Upon his return to Thailand, authorities hope to gather more information about his connections with a drug gang. According to Pol Col Tawee, several women had frequently traveled to Indonesia to meet with Chaowalit. He refrained from providing details about the women or the money trail linked to the fugitive, citing ongoing investigations. However, he did mention that a quarrel with an Indonesian woman, which led to an assault, ultimately resulted in Chaowalit’s arrest by Indonesian police.
A delegation, including Pol Col Tawee, officials from the Department of Corrections, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, the Department of Special Investigation, and Gen Niphat Thonglek, an adviser to the prime minister, will travel to Indonesia on Friday to arrange for Chaowalit’s extradition.
Chaowalit, 37, was serving time for attempted murder and facing multiple other criminal charges, including murder and firearms possession. He escaped from Maharaj Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital on October 22 last year after being taken there for dental treatment.
Police tracked him to a hideout in the Banthad mountain range in Trang on November 8. A shootout ensued, but he managed to escape again into the mountainous terrain spanning Phatthalung, Trang, and Satun provinces. Despite an extensive manhunt, Chaowalit evaded capture and was later believed to have left Thailand in a speedboat from Satun.
While on the run, Chaowalit released a series of videos claiming unfair treatment, stating he was the only one sentenced for his crimes despite other suspects being involved. He also alleged unfair handling of his appeal for bail in the pending murder case. The Ministry of Justice dismissed these claims, pointing to his extensive criminal record.
On December 25, Chaowalit was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for attempted murder, stemming from a shooting at a restaurant in Muang district of Phatthalung on September 9, 2019. He was charged with colluding with four others to attempt the murder of a court assistant, and all five were handed life sentences.
Fugitive Chaowalit “Sia Paeng Nanod” Thongduang was convicted in absentia of attempted murder and will face a murder charge when he is brought back to Thailand. (Photo Supplied)
