In recent months, there have been numerous cases of family mass murder, characterized as violent crimes causing shock and significant harm. What are the main factors behind these cases? From past to present, several family mass murder cases are deeply remembered by society. In 1997, one especially gruesome case involved the hanging of five members of the Boontavee family, the most horrifying and shocking, committed by Sak Pakro or Rueangsak Thongkul, then 22 years old, well known to the victim’s family.
After Sak Pakro was arrested and taken by police to reenact the crime scene at the house in Singhanakhon District, Songkhla Province, he remained unfazed and smiling, showing no remorse for his actions. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison but was released after just three years due to a pardon. He then started a new life and family in Sadao District, Songkhla, changing his name to Netirat Nopwong. He was later fatally shot in front of his home on 22 Feb 2015, ending the story of the former family mass murderer.
Family mass murders continued to occur. In 2009, the Patumwasana family case saw five people killed: father, mother, a 17-year-old daughter, a 15-year-old son, and a maid, at their central Bangkok residence due to business conflicts. In 2014, the "Horm Chong" family was killed for inheritance, with the youngest son hiring a hitman to kill his parents and older brother at a Bang Khae home, claiming parental favoritism. In 2017, the nation was shocked by the "Bang Fat" case where eight family members were brutally killed in Ao Luek District, Krabi Province—the deadliest case—stemming from a land mortgage dispute that escalated into debt-clearing murder.
What lies behind the murder of an entire family? The See True mission “What’s Behind This” visited Singhanakhon District, Songkhla Province, to revisit the heinous killing of five members of the Boontavee family. Dr. Praphat Boontavee, a public health doctor in Songkhla more than 20 years ago, was hanged on his home staircase with three of his children. His wife was tortured by electric shocks, taken upstairs, then strangled with a necktie and left on the bed. The perpetrator was the young 22-year-old Sak Pakro.
“Jaruwan Boontavee” The victim’s younger sister recounted that their mother was the first to witness the scene. While calling her grandson to get sugar water, she saw the bodies hanging along the staircase: Dr. Praphat, Kampanat, Chatchawan, and Pranon. The pain and grief remain intense; even now, she avoids looking at photos of her slain nephews and brother, unable to bear it, often weeping alone.
Besides Dr. Praphat and his three sons who were hanged on the staircase, another family member was beaten and strangled to death in the bedroom—the sister-in-law. She pleaded, “Don’t kill me. Take whatever you want,” but the assailant refused. She was struck against the headboard and died lying face down on the bed.
“When Rueangsak was young, Doctor Phat raised and cared for him after his father died of cancer. Doctor Phat took care of him for years until he grew up. Then, when he became an adult, he killed Doctor Phat. It was so heartless.” The younger sister of Doctor Praphat spoke through her pain.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Weerasak Minawanich, former deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division, recalled the case. Investigations showed that the perpetrator did not initially intend to kill everyone in the house. His goal was to steal one million baht from the sale of fighting bulls owned by Doctor Praphat. However, the situation escalated, and he decided to kill everyone to eliminate witnesses. The three children arrived home first, then the wife came later. She was taken upstairs, where they forced her for money. When she said the bulls had not yet been sold, he didn’t believe her and strangled her with a rope tied to the bedpost until she suffocated.
“That led him to continue. He tied up the three children, waiting for Doctor Praphat to come home, and planned to make the father watch the killings. The youngest child was tied at the lowest stair; the father was asked where the money was. When he didn’t reveal it, the child was kicked down the stairs, dying by hanging. The second child was kicked down again, and then the third. They then took Doctor Praphat to the highest stair to tie him up. The first kick broke the rope, so the father was left unable to move, unconscious. The second kick held, and Doctor Praphat died.”
The former investigator added that Sak Pakro had previously argued with neighbors and once hanged a cow by the neck until it died. During a prior robbery, he was tied to a house pillar with mosquito netting. Whether these events caused trauma leading to the family massacre is unknown. Forensic psychiatry examinations found no mental illness. Other family mass murders often involve family members, close acquaintances, or friends, usually rooted in grudges such as prior friendship turned business disputes or other conflicts.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Sakorn Thongmunee, former deputy commander of Hat Yai Police Station, said the families of Rueangsak (Sak Pakro) and Doctor Praphat were very close since Doctor Praphat had treated his parents’ cancer. They knew each other well, like one family. Prior to this, Rueangsak had committed robberies at gas stations with similar behavior. Motivations included robbery but also a deep childhood grudge as his father had been robbed in a similar way.
Dr. Trin Phoraraksa, a criminologist specializing in behavioral psychology at Mahidol University, explained that most family mass murders are either premeditated or spontaneous. In premeditated cases, the offender knows the number of family members in advance and is driven by full intent and resentment. In unplanned cases, circumstances force the killer to murder everyone to avoid leaving witnesses.
“Ordinary people do not just suddenly kill those they hate. Usually, it results from having been deeply hurt emotionally or having something taken from them. Keep in mind that deep-seated grudges embed themselves in the deepest parts of us, are hard to erase or forget, and can erupt at any time. The perpetrator doesn’t necessarily have a mental illness,” said the criminologist. The criminologist concluded with these remarks.
In summary, violent family mass murders result from: 1. Perpetrators often being close acquaintances or relatives, killing either intentionally or to cover up their crimes and destroy evidence; 2. The driving forces including greed, hatred, anger, and deep grudges; 3. Conflicts involving love affairs, relationships, robbery, inheritance disputes, or business conflicts. To prevent such crimes, one should avoid creating conflicts or deep grudges with those around them.
Most importantly, never be careless and stay vigilant of people. Brutal murderers are not only the mentally ill but can also be ordinary people. Follow #SpecialReports and the See True mission “Letting You See the Truth” for thorough investigations, verifications, and on-the-ground reports exposing every truth every Saturday at 6 p.m. on Thairath TV, Channel 32.