The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK – Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, dubbed the “cyanide killer,” has been sentenced to death after being convicted of murdering her friend, Siriporn Chanwong, in a premeditated attack. The 36-year-old woman was found guilty by the Criminal Court on November 20, 2024, following a lengthy three-hour reading of the verdict.
Rangsiwuthaporn’s ex-husband, Pol Lt-Colonel Withoon Rangsiwutthaporn, 40, and her lawyer, Thannicha Akesuwanwat, 36, were also convicted for their roles in helping the defendant avoid justice by concealing crucial evidence. The case, which attracted widespread media attention, saw the three accused involved in the poisoning death of 32-year-old Siriporn in April 2023.
The court established that Sararat intentionally poisoned Siriporn by lacing her food and water with potassium cyanide during a trip to release fish at a pier in Ratchaburi’s Bang Pong district. Siriporn collapsed and died from the cyanide poisoning, and Sararat made no attempt to help her.
After the victim’s death, Sararat took items worth 154,630 baht from Siriporn’s belongings. Thannicha was accused of conspiring with Withoon to hide the stolen items in an effort to protect Sararat from prosecution.
All three defendants had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but following the trial, the court found them guilty. Sararat was sentenced to death for her role in the murder. Withoon and Thannicha were given two-year prison terms, though Withoon’s sentence was later reduced to one year and four months. Additionally, Withoon was ordered to pay 2.4 million baht in restitution to the victim’s mother.
This case marks a grim chapter in Thailand’s criminal history, with the first known instance of a series of cyanide-related killings linked to the same perpetrator. Sararat’s conviction brings some measure of justice to the family of the victim, but the case has shocked the nation and drawn attention to the dark side of human greed and manipulation.
