Police were called to the scene, in Soi Maliphan on Koh Siray, early Saturday morning (May 12).
Maj Nucharee Longkeaw and other officers of the Phuket City Police responding to the call arrived to find the body of delivery-company worker Teerasit Sae-lim, 29, lying in the middle of a dirt street.
A knife was still protruding from his left armpit. Beside his body in the dirt was a 70cm-long steel rod.
Nearby, his escape curtailed by local residents, was Watchara Wichaikul, a 31-year-old service staffer at a Phuket seafood restaurant. He, too was face down in the dirt, and his body bore multiple wounds from a sharp implement.
Anupong Raksamee, 35, a close friend of Mr Teerasit, told police that Watchara had been making advances towards Teerasit’s girlfriend for a long time, advances that she had ignored.
He said that Watchara had turned up at the street, drunk and carrying a long knife.
Mr Anupong asked Watchara what he was doing, and Watchara replied that he was there to see Mr Teerasit’s “wife”.
To this, Anupong told Watchara to leave as Mr Teerasit’s “wife” already had a ‘husband”.
Watchara refused to leave, and then Mr Teerasit arrived home in the street on his motorbike, Mr Anupong told police.
“Watchara got angry and then chased to stab Mr Teerasit,” he said. “Mr Teerasit tried to escape, but ran into a blind alley, where Watchara attacked him.”
Mr Teerasit collapsed in front of his own rented unit.
Watchara’s attempt to flee was thwarted.
“Me and and other neighbours caught him and held him here until the police arrived. Rescue workers tried to save Mr Teerasit, but couldn’t,” Mr Anupong said.
Mr Teerasit’s “wife”, who police declined to name, explained to officers that she first met Watchara through Facebook and the chatted quite often earlier this year.
She asked that they be good friends only, but Watchara started arriving at her and Teerasit’s place on unannounced visits.
He did this many times, and the woman “unfriended” him on Facebook.
Angered by the online snub, Wachira continued to call her and sent threatening messages, the woman explained.
At times, things were damaged while no one was home, including one time a tyre was slashed, the woman said.