Police say evidence is mounting that a wealthy woman in Udon Thani died after meeting Monta "Ying Kai" Yokrattanakan over a land sale, and that her cremation was suspiciously quickly organised.
Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Thitirat Nonghanpitak said on Wednesday there were sufficient witnesses and evidence for police to believe that Ms Monta met the Udon Thani millionaire who later died.
A source said on Wednesday that Crime Suppression Division police had identified the millionaire as Chaweewan Tangwiriyakul.
- See also: False rumours said Ying Kai had died
According to the source, people in Udon Thani municipality saw Ying Kai and Piti Tangwiriyakul visiting Mrs Chaweewan in 2003.
Mr Piti was the millionaire's ex-husband and Ying Kai reportedly claimed to be his daughter and had a royally bestowed title of Khunying (lady). They proposed to her that they would buy her eight-rai land plot in Udon Thani province.
Detectives found that Mrs Chaweewan sought treatment at a clinic in Sawang Daen Din district of Sakon Nakhon on Nov 26, 2003. She died seven days later on Dec 2. Liver cancer was the cause of her death.
Her body underwent religious ceremonies at Wat Si Sawang in Sakon Nakhon and was cremated there on Dec 3.
After the death, the land plot was transferred to Mr Piti and then sold to another person for 8 million baht. Earlier reports identified Ying Kai as the buyer.
Ying Kai was the one who reported the death of Mrs Chaweewan to officials and detectives were suspicious about the quick cremation, the source said.
Ying Kai was charged with making false complaints about multi-million-baht thefts by former employees, attempted human trafficking by allegedly forcing her employees to work in other countries, and insulting the royal institution for claiming to be a Khunying.
The source also said that Sunthon Khanhin, Ying Kai's former driver, would meet police on July 22 after reports of his disappearance to talk about Ying Kai. Pol Lt Gen Thitirat confirmed the man was alive.
Ying Kai is being held at the Central Women's Correctional Institute in Bang Khen district, Bangkok after the Criminal Court denied her bail on the lese majeste charge.