Nearly a decade after walking free from prison, convicted wife-killer Wisut Boonkasemsanti is back in the spotlight—this time accused of high-stakes financial crimes.
Earlier this month, Thailand’s Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged that Wisut, now in his 70s, and two female accomplices violated the Securities and Exchange Act through “front running.” This illegal practice involves buying shares ahead of a large client order to profit from the expected price change.
One of the women allegedly worked at a top brokerage and passed confidential client information to Wisut between 2023 and 2024. Investigators say he used these tips to manipulate the market, making illicit gains while damaging her employer’s reputation. The second woman is accused of receiving funds from the trades.
The SEC began monitoring these trades last year and has now referred the case to the Anti-Money Laundering Office and the Economic Crime Suppression Division. If convicted, Wisut could return to prison. Sources close to the investigation say there is significant evidence against him.
From Fertility Expert to Convicted Killer
Before his name was linked to one of Thailand’s most notorious murder cases, Wisut was a respected assistant professor at Chulalongkorn Hospital and a leading expert in in-vitro fertilisation. His wife, Dr Phassaporn, was a gynaecologist at the Royal Thai Railway Hospital. They had two children, but their marriage fell apart after she discovered his affair with a patient.
Friends testified that Phassaporn feared for her life. Her father said she had confided that Wisut once drugged and tried to strangle her.
On February 20, 2001, Wisut lured Phassaporn to a Japanese restaurant under the pretext of discussing home renovations. CCTV showed her walking in unaided but being supported by Wisut as they left. Staff recalled he claimed she was drunk, though she had ordered only juice. She was never seen alive again.
Police later found 3.3 kilograms of human remains in a septic tank at a flat Wisut rented, with more remains discovered elsewhere. DNA confirmed they were hers.
The Criminal Court sentenced Wisut to death in 2003, a ruling upheld by the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. However, royal clemency and “good behaviour” reduced his sentence to life, and he was released in 2014 after serving just over 10 years.
Monkhood and a Claimed Transformation
While in prison, Wisut claimed to have undergone deep self-reflection. He said he had shed his arrogance, learned humility, and found purpose in helping sick inmates.
In 2015, he was ordained as a monk at Wat Pathum Wanaram, seeking “spiritual rebirth.” His time in the monkhood was short-lived, and he later returned to lay life.
A Pattern of Reinvention?
Now facing allegations of insider trading and money laundering, critics question whether Wisut’s claimed transformation was sincere or just another reinvention. For some, his return to controversy is proof that his repentance was superficial.
The court’s handling of the new charges will determine whether Wisut’s latest chapter ends behind bars—or if he once again manages to walk free.
