Seven young men who allegedly beat a Myanmar man to death on Saturday were arrested in Chiang Mai yesterday.
The suspects were identified as Teoy, 20; Jom, 19; Wit, 17; Pop, 18; Dul, 17; and Chai, 18, as well as Sayan Chanthip, 22, a Chiang Mai resident.
They were brought before the media at Chiang Mai provincial police headquarters yesterday.
Earlier, Pol Lt Col Sanan Chanthabut, an investigator at Chang Puak station, was alerted to the death of a 21-year-old ethnic Tai Yai man, Prae, from Myanmar, whose severely bruised body was found on the 2nd Outer Ring Road near Chiang Mai Provincial Government Centre in tambon Chang Puek in Muang district on Saturday.
When police arrived at the scene, they found the victim dead with severe head wounds.
Police retrieved as evidence pieces of wood and lumps of concrete believed to have been used to beat the victim to death. Officers also found about 130 methamphetamine pills in the victim's pocket.
CCTV camera footage and the evidence collected at the scene led to the arrest of the suspects. Details of their arrest were not given.
The suspects allegedly confessed they had an altercation with the victim and his Myanmar friends while they were returning from a Red Cross Fair in Muang district. The groups had a fight in which Prae was beaten to death.
The suspects were charged with colluding in a fatal assault.
Pol Maj Gen Montri Samboonnanon, chief of Chiang Mai police, said authorities would also widen the investigation to a narcotic trafficking syndicate linked to the speed pills found on the victim's body.
Pol Maj Gen Montri said he also instructed Chang Puek, Mae Rim and Mae Ping stations to tighten measures to prevent gatherings of teens which could lead to violence.