Thai Hitman Sentenced to Life for Murder of Cambodian Opposition Leader

A Thai court on Friday sentenced a former marine to death, later commuting it to life imprisonment, for the January killing of former Cambodian opposition lawmaker Lim Kimya in Bangkok, the victim’s family lawyer told Reuters.

Ekgalak Panoy, 41, was found guilty of murdering the 74-year-old politician, who was shot dead on January 7 in Bangkok’s Old Quarter just hours after arriving from Cambodia with his wife and brother. Ekgalak was arrested the following day in neighboring Cambodia.

According to Nadthasiri Bergman, the widow’s lawyer, the Thai criminal court convicted Ekgalak of premeditated murder and unlawful possession and discharge of a firearm. “The defendant confessed to the crime, so the death penalty was commuted to life imprisonment,” Nadthasiri said, adding that the court also ordered him to pay 1.79 million baht ($55,162) in compensation to the victim’s family.

A second defendant, another Thai national accused of driving Ekgalak to the Cambodian border after the shooting, was acquitted for lack of evidence that he knew of the crime.

Two Cambodian nationals wanted in connection with the murder, Lee Ratanaksmy and Pich Kimsrinh, fled Thailand. Thai authorities issued arrest warrants for them in January. Nadthasiri said Lim’s family hopes investigators will continue their work to bring the fugitives to justice.

Lim Kimya, who held both Cambodian and French citizenship, was a member of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, a popular opposition movement that was dissolved by a court in 2018 on charges of plotting treason—allegations widely dismissed at the time as politically motivated.

($1 = 32.45 baht)