The suspect, Wachara Plekpon 25, from Trang, surrendered himself at Cherng Talay Police Station at 9pm on Saturday night, some five hours after the murder.
Capt Ronnapoom Permpoon of the Phuket City Police was notified of stabbing, at a house in Soi Bangsan 2, Rassada, at 4pm.
At the scene, Nattapol “Meg” Vanich, 30, was unconsciousness on the floor in the kitchen with a knife wound to his stomach.
Unable to confirm that Mr Nattapol had a pulse, Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers administered CPR and rushed him to Mission Hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Wachara had lived in the house for years and knew Mr Nattapol well, police said.
“Wachara was a tenant in the house and lived there with his girlfriend for years,” Capt Ronnapoom explained.
“Mr Nattapol is a relative of the landlord, and he often visited Wachara,” he added.
However, Wachara became angry when Mr Nattapol posted on Facebook a call for Wachara to pay his water and power bills, which some reports said had been only recently increased.
“The landlord called both of them to meet and resolve the matter, and asked Mr Nattapol to delete the Facebook post,” Capt Ronnapoom explained.
Despite the call for a truce, an argument between Wachara and Mr Nattapol blew out of control, resulting in Wachara stabbing Mr Nattapol in the stomach, Capt Ronnapoom added.
After stabbing Mr Nattapol, Wachara fled on his yellow Honda Wave motorcycle, but later surrendered himself to police in Cherng Talay.
He was handed over to Phuket City Police to face legal action for the crime.