Death for man who raped young girl then threw body from train

The attack sparked outrage in the south-east Asian nation and prompted calls for the execution of rapists.

The case also raised questions about the safety of Thailand’s long-distance trains, which are popular with tourists who visit the country’s southern beaches and enjoy jungle treks in the north.

As a result of the girl’s murder in July, the State Railway of Thailand introduced a women-only carriage on main routes for overnight trains.

The attacker, 22-year-old Wanchai Saengkhao, was a temporary employee whose job it was to make beds in the sleeper cars. He confessed to drinking beer with his colleagues and taking drugs during his shift that night and then raping the girl, who was sleeping in a lower bunk during a trip to Bangkok.

Yesterday, the Hua Hin provincial court convicted Wanchai of murder, raping a minor, concealing the body to hide the cause of death and other charges. It said his crimes were “outrageous”, ‘’inhumane” and “could have an impact on society’s order”.

The girl was travelling with two of her sisters from their home in southern Thailand to the capital on their first solo train journey. When the sisters, aged 22 and 10, awoke in nearby beds, they found their 13-year-old sibling missing, and a nationwide manhunt began.

During a re-enactment of the crime, Wanchai told police that he smothered the girl and then threw her out of the moving train. Her naked body was found three days after the murder in bushes alongside train tracks.

“The behaviour in this case was serious and, therefore, deserves severe punishment,” the judge said in the verdict.

Capital punishment is the maximum penalty for murder in Thailand, and rape is punishable by four to 20 years in prison.

The court also sentenced a 19-year-old railway employee to four years in jail for aiding Wanchai with the rape.

Family members of the victim attended the ruling.