Police Seek Myanmar National for Questioning in Pattaya Murder of Former Thai Tennis Coach “Coach Nat”

PATTAYA, Thailand — Thai police are looking for a Myanmar national identified only as “Tek” as a person of interest in connection with the murder of a 64-year-old former Thai national tennis and beach-tennis player better known as “Coach Nat”.

His body was discovered on the afternoon of Sunday, July 26th, 2026, in a locked bedroom of his single-story home in the Pattaya area. The house sits behind a large tennis and sports complex where he served as an executive and coach who trained several prominent Thai players. He was also a close friend of former world-ranked player Paradorn Srichaphan.

Officers from Nong Prue Police Station, forensic teams, and rescue volunteers found the coach lying face-up on a mattress, partially covered by a blanket, with knife wounds to both arms (including a visible wound on the left elbow) and signs of strangulation. A kitchen knife about one foot long lay near the headboard.

Evidence of a struggle was present in the bedroom. Relatives had been unable to contact him and used a spare key to enter the bedroom after entering the home by climbing through a bathroom window.

According to Thai media, a key piece of evidence emerged from the victim’s tablet: at approximately 4:00 a.m. on July 26th, around the estimated time of the killing, 30,000 baht was transferred via a banking app from Natthawee’s account to a Myanmar national named “Tek.” The recipient had resigned about a week earlier from work at the victim’s badminton court. Police are actively tracking Tek for questioning about possible involvement but have stopped short of calling him a suspect at this time, only saying he is a person they wish to question.

Pol Maj Gen Chokchai Ngamwong, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 2, confirmed after a meeting at Nong Prue station on July 27th that investigators have identified a group of persons of interest and narrowed the suspect list. Some individuals currently being questioned remain classified as witnesses. Possible motives under examination include personal conflict and robbery. No arrest warrants had been issued as of the latest updates, pending further evidence.

Thai media also noted that the victim’s older brother, Thanin Sukkhantharun, 81, told police that two days before the death his brother had called him expressing concern about problems with a former Lao tennis student who had left training and later shown aggressive or defiant behavior despite receiving significant support. A 22-year-old Lao national who had lived with the coach for three years was among those questioned but has not been charged at this time. These details are being treated as part of the broader inquiry rather than conclusive links.

The investigation continues, with police collecting forensic evidence, reviewing CCTV, and pursuing leads related to the money transfer and the Myanmar national. Further details are expected as the case progresses.