Burmese cook arrested in Yangon over Bangkok wife murder as police hunt for missing head, trace CCTV suitcase evidence and search drains and septic tanks after a horrific dismemberment case shocked residents and exposed a cross-border escape.
A Burmese cook accused of butchering his wife and stuffing her body parts into plastic boxes has been seized after a cross-border hunt, as Bangkok police race to find her missing head. A suitcase dragged from the crime scene, a flight across the Burmese border and a forensic search of drains and a septic tank have revealed the chilling trail left behind in the death of 34-year-old waitress Ms Aye Aye Nwe at an apartment in the Ratchathewi district.
A Burmese cook accused of murdering his wife, cutting up her body and hiding the remains inside plastic boxes, has been arrested in Yangon after fleeing Bangkok, as police continue a desperate search for the victim’s missing head.
Aung Pyae, 36, was captured on Saturday following a joint operation involving Thai and Burmese police. He had escaped from Bangkok to Burma after the murder of his wife, 34-year-old Burmese waitress Ms Aye Aye Nwe.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police Bureau officers and forensic specialists remain at the Ratchaprarop Soi 14 apartment in Ratchathewi district where the crime is believed to have occurred. The search for missing body parts, especially the victim’s head, remains one of the investigation’s most urgent tasks.
Bangkok forensic hunt continues as police search apartment for missing head after grisly murder case
The horror was uncovered shortly after 3.30 am on Friday, June 12, when Din Daeng Police Station received reports of a suspicious object and a strong foul smell from the room.
In response, police officers and Ruamkatanyu Foundation volunteers entered the apartment and made a chilling discovery. A black plastic storage box contained dismembered human remains.
However, investigators quickly established that several body parts were missing. The victim’s head had not been found.
As a result, forensic officers launched an extensive search inside the room and surrounding areas. They collected fingerprints, DNA samples and other traces that may help reconstruct the final events before the killing.
Police identified the victim as Ms Aye Aye Nwe, a Burmese national who owned the room and worked as a waitress at a restaurant and bar in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district.
Separately, investigators identified her husband as the prime suspect. Aung Pyae worked as a cook at a pub near Phetchaburi Road in Bangkok.
CCTV trail exposes suspect’s escape route from Bangkok to Burma before Yangon arrest after wife’s death
CCTV footage later provided a major breakthrough. The recordings showed the suspect dragging a large suitcase away from the apartment on June 10.
Afterwards, investigators traced his route out of Bangkok. They discovered he had hired a passenger van travelling towards the Mae Sot district in Tak province.
Subsequently, police concluded that he crossed into Burma to evade capture. Thai officers then coordinated with their Burmese counterparts to track him down.
The operation ended with his arrest in Yangon on Saturday. He is now expected to be returned to Thailand for prosecution.
Notably, investigators from Din Daeng Police Station secured a Criminal Court arrest warrant on June 13. The warrant charges him with premeditated murder and concealing, moving or destroying a body or body parts to conceal the crime.
On another front, Pol Col Sakkaya Saengwan, deputy commander of Metropolitan Police Division 1, is preparing to travel to Mae Sot. He will receive the suspect at the immigration checkpoint before transporting him back to Bangkok.
Police investigate motive and scour drains and septic tank for missing body parts in the apartment room
Earlier reports linked 27-year-old Burmese man Hein Zaw Htay to the investigation. However, police later determined that Aung Pyae was the principal suspect.
Investigators believe jealousy may have been the motive after the suspect accused his wife of having a new partner. Nevertheless, officers are continuing to gather forensic evidence to establish the complete circumstances.
As part of this, forensic teams returned to the apartment on Saturday for another detailed examination. Officers searched walls, furniture, personal belongings and drainage systems for additional evidence.
Investigators also focused heavily on the bathroom and sewage network. They examined whether missing remains may have been disposed of through the toilet.
Initially, officers encountered difficulties examining the building’s large septic tank due to the amount of waste inside.
Consequently, they requested assistance from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. A sewage truck was brought to remove waste and allow a more thorough inspection.
Neighbours reveal strange conditions inside the room before discovery of dismembered body in plastic boxes
In parallel, investigators continued searching for any human fragments that may remain inside the drainage system.
The disturbing nature of the crime shocked neighbours who lived near the couple. A resident who helped break open the door described the unusual scene inside the apartment.
According to the resident, the building manager became concerned after not seeing Ms Aye Aye Nwe for several days. Fearing that something was wrong, the door was forced open.
The witness said the room appeared unusually clean and looked almost like a hotel room. Clothes were soaking in a basin in the bathroom.
Nevertheless, no body was immediately found during the first inspection. The resident checked the wardrobe, refrigerator and storage areas beneath the bed.
Resident described a foul smell, open windows and shock after finding clues inside the living space
The witness later recalled, “I had a feeling something was up because I smelled a foul odour like a corpse, and all the windows were open, as if to ventilate the smell.”
The resident added, “But I didn’t find anything that day. Then, the next day, I heard the news that a body had been found, dismembered and stuffed into plastic boxes.”
The witness continued, “I admit I felt a lot of pity.”
Moreover, the same resident remembered seeing Aung Pyae on June 8 before the remains were discovered.
The witness said the suspect was drinking alcohol and smoking heavily outside the building. He appeared tense, his eyes were intense and he was easily startled by nearby comments.
Witness recalls suspect’s tense behaviour days before wife was found dismembered inside a Bangkok room
The resident stated, “I didn’t talk to him because we weren’t close; we only exchanged a few greetings as people living in the same dorm do.”
The witness added, “I was shocked when I saw the news that the suspect was Mr B because, from what I’d seen, he seemed like a good person. I never thought he would commit such a brutal crime.”
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For now, the victim’s head remains missing despite repeated searches. Police are examining every possible location where the remains may have been hidden or discarded.
At the same time, investigators are analysing CCTV footage, forensic evidence and the suspect’s movements before his escape.
The investigation remains active as Bangkok police prepare to bring Aung Pyae back from Burma to face prosecution over one of the city’s most horrific murder cases in recent years.
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Burmese man arrested for murder after police find dismembered body parts at a Bangkok apartment
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