Gen Suwat confirmed that there was good news in the case, said the report.
Asked whether police had arrested any suspect for Ms Sauvain-Weisskopf’s murder, Gen Suwat replied, “Yes, we have. For details whether the suspect is Thai or foreigner, I would not like to reveal at this moment”.
However, he declined to comment further.
The report noted that Gen Suwat brought a team of lead investigators from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) in Bangkok to lead the multi-agency investigation that included local police,Provincial Police, Tourist Police and Immigration officers.
Leading the investigation is CSD Deputy Commissioner Maj Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej.
The team of investigators inspected three workers camps in the area, which are home to many Thais and foreigners, said the report.
At about 3:45pm this afternoon (Aug 7), MCOT posted another update, reporting, “Police are questioning the suspect in the female tourist murder case. So far, no officer has confirmed whether the man is only a suspect or the actual murder, or whether the man is Thai or Myanmar national.
The latter MCOT report posted several images of the suspect and a segment of CCTV footage showing the man walking in the area where Ms Sauvain-Weisskopf’s body was found.
The photos and images were credited to Wichit Police.
According to the Bangkok Post, A police source, asking not to be named, said on Saturday that investigators had examined security camera video in areas near the waterfall — there were none at the actual site — and taken some people in for questioning. One of them acted suspiciously and a check found some bruises on his body.
After an intensive interrogation, the man confessed, according to the source. Police searched him and found an ID card that identified him as Teerawat Thothip, 27, of Thalang district in Phuket.
The suspect, known locally as “Bang Lee”, told investigators he spotted the tourist when he went to the waterfall and saw the tourist. He reportedly claimed to have become aroused but when he attempted to act on that impulse, the woman resisted. They fought, and he pressed her head into the water until she died and then he fled, according to the source.
The bruises and wounds on his body occurred during the struggle and from a fall onto some rocks at the waterfall, added the source.