Man confesses to killing, butchering transgender woman after sex deal goes bad

New Straits Times

28-04-2025

PATTAYA: A Chinese national has confessed to the killing and mutilation of a Thai transgender woman in Pattaya, Thai media reported on April 27.
The suspect, identified by police as 42-year-old Fu Tongyuen, a welder from Hubei province, admitted to murdering 25-year-old Woranun Pannacha inside his rented apartment in central Pattaya, according to the Straits Times.
Through a translator, Fu told investigators that he met Woranun on the evening of April 25 at a beach in South Pattaya, where they exchanged contact details. He claimed he was unaware at the time that she was transgender.
Later that night, around 9pm, Woranun contacted Fu and agreed to meet at his apartment, where he paid her 8,000 baht (approximately RM1,039) for sex.
However, when Woranun later refused to engage in sex, Fu demanded a 50 per cent refund.
An argument ensued after she refused, during which Fu said she scratched his face and kicked him off the bed.
Fu told police that, enraged, he climbed back onto the bed, pinned her down, and strangled her until she stopped moving.
He then dragged her body to the bathroom, where he used a pair of scissors to cut open her body—tools he claimed to have purchased previously for self-protection.
Fu further admitted that he wanted to "play" with Woranun's body, cutting open her breasts to remove silicone implants, and slicing her torso from the neck down to the genital area to remove her heart.
He then washed the body and cleaned the blood from the room before leaving the body in the bathroom and going to sleep.
Several hours later, Fu woke up, booked a flight back to China, and made his way to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok via motorbike taxi and bus. He was arrested at the airport on April 26.
At the time of his arrest, Fu still bore visible scratch marks on his face. He told police he lost control after Woranun assaulted him but said he was unsure if he suffered from any mental health issues. He also apologised for his actions.
Pattaya police chief Anek Srathongyoo said Fu confessed to the crime in the face of overwhelming evidence, noting that one of Woranun's lungs was missing—though Fu denied removing it—as police investigations continue.