After almost 7 years, Thai court still deliberating murder vs suicide in Hangthong Thammawattana case

Personally, I would go with the detailed scientific findings of the only impartial investigator whose integrity has never been successfully impuned : Dr. Pornthip. Dr. Pornthip ruled this case a murder many years ago, and carefully articulated the evidence-based reasons why. Her findings have never been rebutted or even addressed, only her integrity attacked, though no one has been able to come up with a reason why this superstar forensic scientist would lie.

The latest autopsy on the body of Hangthong Thammawattana concluded the billionaire MP shot himself, switching the theory back to suicide.

Sawet Kanluan, head of the third autopsy team, testified in court yesterday there were no bruises on Hangthong's body which suggested he may have been beaten before he was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the family mansion in 1999.

Dr Sawet was testifying in the trial in which Noppadol Thammawattana is accused of killing Hangthong, his own brother.

The body was discovered in Mr Noppadol's room.

Dr Sawet is a forensic pathologist based in Chicago. His testimony is at odds with the result of an earlier, second autopsy carried out by Porntip Rojanasunan, acting director-general of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, which concluded Hangthong was murdered. The first autopsy was conducted by the police who ruled the former Prachakorn Thai MP committed suicide.