Police are searching for two British men who are believed to have murdered a Burmese businessman in Thailand by bashing his head against the ground, according to local reports.
The Scottish suspects, identified only as ‘William’ and ‘John’, are said to have met with Burmese national Kyaw Zeyar, 50, for a business deal at Bangkok’s Saranjai Mansion apartment complex on Tuesday evening.
However, the British reportedly had a heated argument with Zeyar when negotiations broke down in the 23rd floor apartment.
They allegedly beat him to death, then ransacked his room and escaped with a mobile phone and THB five million (about £110,000) in cash.
Kyaw Zeyar’s stepmother, who lives in his apartment and was knocked unconscious during the scuffle, reported the attack to police.
Police are searching for two British men believed to have murdered a Burmese businessman in Thailand by slamming his head into the floor in a Bangkok apartment building
The Scottish suspects, identified only as ‘William’ and ‘John’, are said to have met with Burmese national Kyaw Zeyar, 50, for a business deal at the Saranjai Mansion apartment building (pictured during police investigation) in Bangkok on Tuesday evening.
The men allegedly beat Kyaw Zeyar to death, then ransacked his room and escaped with a mobile phone and THB five million (about £110,000) in cash. He was found dead on the ground wearing a white, blood-stained polo shirt
Lt. Col. Therdsak Manaschon of the Lumpini Police Station said officers received a report at 11:15 p.m. and went to the 23-story building to investigate.
They found the room in disarray, with a broken doorknob and the key card slot with batteries removed.
Kyaw Zeyar lay dead on the ground in a white, blood-stained polo shirt.
No weapons were found at the scene.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Therdsak said: ‘After reviewing CCTV footage we believe the suspects were the two dark-skinned Scottish men. One of them was bald. They hurriedly fled the scene after committing the crime.
“We have been working with the Wat Phraya Krai Police Station to gather information about the suspects, who lived at the Shangri-La Bangkok hotel.
“Furthermore, we contacted the immigration office at Suvarnabhumi Airport to prevent them from fleeing Thailand.
‘It is suspected that the victim and the suspects were involved in black money business. Negotiations failed, leading to the assassination.
“The cause of death is believed to have occurred because the suspects forcefully hit the victim’s head against the floor.”
The mother of Kyaw Zeyar, who was also injured in the fight, said she and her son had been living in Thailand for about four months.
The deceased had bought a safe to store the money in earlier that morning before meeting the British men at around 8.30pm.
Photos in Thai media showed officers transporting the safe to a police station.
She said: ‘I saw them fighting and I tried to intervene but the man called William knocked me unconscious.
“When I woke up, I saw that my son was covered in blood but still breathing weakly.”
Police officers are seen in the apartment building investigating the crime
Kyaw Zeyar’s stepmother, who lives in his apartment and was knocked unconscious during the scuffle, reported the attack to police.
The panicked mother had called condo staff for help, but Kyaw Zeyar died while doctors administered CPR.
They also discovered that the money was missing from the safe, along with her phone.
Strangely, the suspects had left behind Kyaw Zeyar’s password-protected phone, which contained their contact details and private messages.
Police were still trying to track down the whereabouts of the British men this afternoon.