KORAT, THAILAND – What initially appeared to be a tragic COVID-19 death has turned into a homicide investigation in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), as police revealed that 50-year-old Dokmai Praditja was murdered, not killed by the virus as first suspected by her family.
Dokmai was found dead in her bedroom last Wednesday night in Ban Samphaniang, Non Daeng district. Her relatives, aware that she had recently tested positive for COVID-19, believed she had succumbed to the virus. There were no visible signs of struggle at the scene.
However, Pol Col Paibul Khunkham, chief of Non Daeng police station, stated that a postmortem examination at Non Daeng Hospital revealed telltale signs of suffocation, including neck bruises. A second autopsy at Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital further confirmed this, revealing broken ribs and confirming suffocation as the cause of death.
Police have since questioned at least 15 individuals and narrowed the investigation to three key suspects. While no arrests have been made, authorities believe the death was not accidental or natural.
Dokmai had been living with her elderly father and current husband. Her son, shared with her ex-husband, had moved out temporarily due to her COVID-19 diagnosis. On the day of her death, it was her ex-husband who discovered her body after coming to collect their son’s school uniforms and finding the door locked from the inside.
Family members, including her 53-year-old sister, described the position of the body as suspicious — face down with crossed ankles. Her husband, Thanawat Panyanam, 43, who had been working in Yasothon, said he last spoke to her by phone the night she died and rushed home upon hearing the news.
The case has gripped the local community, especially as it unfolded against the backdrop of a surge in COVID-19 cases across Thailand. As of June 11, 2025, the country has recorded over 439,000 cases this year, with 130 related deaths, though health officials emphasize that most fatalities involve elderly or at-risk patients.
The Omicron NB.1.8.1 subvariant has driven the latest wave, particularly in major provinces including Bangkok, Chon Buri, and Nonthaburi. Despite rising infections, the national death rate remains relatively low.
As investigations continue, the family of Dokmai is left seeking justice, while police work to determine who is responsible for turning what looked like a health crisis into a violent crime.
