RATCHABURI: A man whose belief in superstition told him he would die this month shot his wife dead before turning the gun on himself at their house in Bang Phae district on Saturday.
The man, an assistant village chief, had even ordered a coffin in advance, his sister revealed.
Police, forensic officials and rescue workers rushed to the house in tambon Don Khlang at around 8am on Saturday after being alerted. Inside, they found the bodies of a man and a woman lying dead next to each other.
The woman, identified later as Suda Yenpoo, 44, wearing black shorts and a floral-printed T-shirt, sustained a gunshot wound to her left temple. Next to her, the body of her husband, Wandee Yenpoo, 49, wearing black shorts and a black T-shirt, was shot in the right temple.
An 11mm pistol and two spent bullets were found near the bodies. Police believed the couple had been dead for about six hours, Thai media reported.
Niphon Yenpoo, 24, the son of the dead couple, told police that his parents never quarrelled. He was not in the house when the shooting occurred, but when he returned home he found his parents’ bedroom was still closed. He opened the door and was shocked to see his parents dead inside. His seven-year-old brother was still sleeping next to them. He woke up his brother and alerted relatives.
Duangdao Yenpoo, 51, the elder sister of Mr Wandee, told police that her brother told her last month that he would die this month. Mr Wandee was widely known as someone who believed in superstition. He was known among local residents for his accurate fortune telling, she said.
She said she was astonished when her brother asked her to help take care of his family after he died. He had also ordered a coffin from a local shop in advance.
Ms Duangdao said she asked him how his wife and children would live and he replied her that he would take his wife with him. The sister said she did not think that her brother would take the matter seriously.
Police sent the bodies for a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of the deaths.