A Thai man shot his wife amid a dispute over losses of nearly $20,000 in Bitcoin investments. He then shot himself and hid from police for several hours before turning himself in.
- Man shoots his wife over argument over failed Bitcoin investment
- The couple would have had disagreements over the loss of almost USD $20,000 in BTC
- The event occurred in Thailand, where local police detained the suspect
A married couple’s heated argument over the loss of several thousand dollars in Bitcoin led to tragedy this week in Thailand, with two injured and a 6-hour police standoff.
The entanglement began when Kritsada, the 35-year-old husband, became involved in an argument with his wife, Pitsamai, over the loss of 700,000 baht, or around USD $19,500, in investments in Bitcoin, according to local media The Thaiger.
The affair sparked disagreements between the couple, eventually leading to a violent confrontation between the two. In the middle of the fight, the Thai man, who was already distraught over the loss of the bitcoins, lost his temper and ended up attacking his wife with a shot in the leg. Kritsada then also wounded himself with a shot to the leg, according to the report.
The episode of domestic violence attracted police officers, who surrounded the home for more than 6 hours before the suspect finally surrendered to the authorities.
Uthai provincial police station officer Manas Atthadod revealed that Kritsada had attempted to kill his 31-year-old wife, and then barricaded himself in their home for several hours, the publication reported. A family member reportedly helped the police in the negotiation efforts to convince the husband to surrender her.
Along with the capture of Kritsada, police confiscated a .38 caliber pistol as evidence. According to the report, the Thai man shot himself out of torment for hurting his wife, and he threatened to commit suicide if she died.
Pitsamai was reportedly taken to a hospital where she was safe under medical care. Her husband was also treated by health experts before being taken back to the holding cell. The initial charges against Kritsada included attempted murder and unlicensed possession of a firearm and ammunition, KhaoSod reported .
Cryptocurrencies in Thailand
Although the report does not provide further details about the suspect’s Bitcoin investments, it is worth noting that the use of the type of asset is highly popular in the country. According to a Chainalysis index updated in 2023, Thailand is among the top countries with the most cryptocurrency adoption, behind Indonesia, Pakistan, and Brazil.
Interest in cryptocurrencies among Thai residents remains on the rise despite the authorities’ increasingly strict approach. In July, the Thai government implemented new digital currency regulations that will completely ban cryptocurrency lending and deposit services on commercial exchanges.
This followed a series of restrictions announced by the local regulator in September 2022, prohibiting the inclusion of false or exaggerated information about cryptocurrency projects. In late August, the local government warned that it would block Facebook nationwide if the platform did not take action to curb fraudulent crypto-related ads.