Interpol has issued its equivalent of an international arrest warrant for a British man suspected of killing a Thai bar girl, stuffing her body in a suitcase and dumping it into the Mae Klong River in Kanchanaburi in November last year.
Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen, superintendent of the Foreign Affairs Division's Interpol office, said Interpol had issued a "red notice" to international law enforcement agencies alerting them that an arrest warrant has been issued for Shane Kenneth Looker, 45, wanted for the murder of Laksami Manochat, 31.
The Kanchanaburi Provincial Court had authorised the warrant for the Briton on charges of murdering and illegally disposing of the body of Laksami. Tha Muang district police said Mr Looker's DNA, taken from nail clippers in the suspect's home, matches samples collected from Laksami's body.
Police said Mr Looker left Thailand by train on Nov 24 crossing into Malaysia via the Padang Besar border post in Songkhla.
On Nov 6, Laksami's naked body was found inside a red suitcase along with a shirt, bra, underwear, a pair of jeans, high-heel shoes and an empty wallet. She had sustained severe bruising to her left forehead.
Pol Col Kritsana said police have sought cooperation from 19 countries with which Thailand has extradition treaties.