[birds chirping and cawing]
[tense ethereal music plays]
[news anchor 1] In Mukdahan province,
let us all support the search of Chompoo,
the three-year-old girl who's disappeared
without a trace from home.
At first, we thought it was
just a simple missing-child case.
But it turned into a major event
that captured the nation's attention.
Viewers, regarding Chompoo
the authorities immediately deployed
forces up there, searching day and night
Check the channel.
through the forests for her.
They found nothing.
We have interviewed
a total of 384 witnesses.
If it's a kidnapping,
the culprit is absolutely heartless.
Uncle Phol was just her uncle-in-law.
[man] Haven't seen you in days.
[reporter] Out of the blue, the girl's
case turned into a beauty pageant contest.
-[upbeat music plays]
-[villagers chatter]
[woman 1] Uncle Phol, look at the camera.
Make a handsome pose.
Check, check, check.
-[woman 2] Hello, Uncle Phol.
-[woman 3] We love Uncle Phol.
I said, "Gosh! You should be
a star with a face like this."
[announcer 1] "Tao Ngoi"
by Jintara and Uncle Phol!
[announcer 2] Uncle Phol!
[crowd cheers]
[Phol] Dance!
[journalist] YouTubers came around.
You just came back. Let me hug you.
Everyone focused on Uncle Phol.
[morose, ethereal music plays]
They must've completely forgotten
what had happened to the child.
[crew member] Speed.
CHAIPHON WHIPHA
"UNCLE PHOL," CHOMPOO'S UNCLE
Sound ready? Rolling.
Hello.
CHOMPOO: LOST & FORGOTTEN
["We Love Morlam"
by Rasmi Isan Soul plays]
[Phol] When I first moved to Kok Kork
KOK KORK VILLAGE
it was as if I'd moved to a hidden city.
There was no connection
to the outside world.
KOK KORK VILLAGE
NORTHEASTERN REGION, THAILAND
ANAMAI WONGSRICHA
CHOMPOO'S FATHER
[Anamai] Here, we rely on each other.
We help each other.
I help you, and you help me.
NALIN NGOENNAM
"AUNT THORN"
We all know each other.
Our village is related by blood,
and most of the men are sons-in-law.
We're poor, but we're happy.
When someone cooks a pot of food,
we share it with each other.
My children, grandchildren,
and Chompoo had meals together.
[brooding music plays]
Chompoo, she's so innocent.
How could someone do this to her?
[Phol] The truth of what happened
in Kok Kork,
I and those who were at the scene
and were a part of it
would know best
about what happened in Kok Kork.
And as for my last memory that day,
my last memory of Chompoo
MAY 11, 2020
6:00 A.M., THE DAY OF THE DISAPPEARANCE
I was on my tractor,
about to go out to level the rice field.
[engine starts]
[tender music plays]
Chompoo came out and called to me.
She said
"Come back home soon."
"Don't forget to buy me some snacks."
That's the last memory I have of her.
I've never forgotten it.
Then I drove off to do my work,
leveling the rice field.
[cell phone vibrates]
[suspenseful music plays]
And then, around nine or ten
in the morning, my phone rang.
I answered it.
They told me to hurry home quick,
because they couldn't find Chompoo.
I really wasn't too worried at first.
She might be just playing in the village,
or playing with some older children.
She loved watching cartoons
and playing with toys.
She would pretend to sell things.
She was very close
with her older sister, Sading.
They always stuck together.
Her sister took care of her. Yeah.
[video game noises play]
Sading told me she was distracted.
She was on her phone, playing games.
She tried her best
to keep an eye on Chompoo.
But the next moment, Chompoo disappeared.
[gloomy, droning music plays]
When I looked into Sading's eyes,
I could see her sadness.
She'd always taken really good care
of her sister.
They were always together.
Most of the time,
Chompoo would never go anywhere alone.
She wouldn't go into the forest.
And then when evening came,
I just had a feeling
that something wasn't right.
[haunting, ethereal music plays]
[past Anamai] Chompoo?
Come back to Daddy.
[Anamai] Very quickly,
I began searching everywhere
that I thought she could have gone.
[past Anamai] It's okay, Daddy's here.
[Anamai] My partner and I searched
the forest together all night.
[past Anamai] Chompoo?
[Anamai] We called her name,
listening for any kind of response.
That first night,
I didn't sleep at all until dawn.
I was worried about where
my daughter could have gone,
or whether someone had kidnapped her.
CHOMPOO MISSING FOR 24 HOURS
It's unbelievable that the farmers
in Mukdahan still haven't found her.
Let us all support the search of Chompoo,
the three-year-old girl
who has disappeared
without a trace from home.
The village has come together
for the search,
but there is still no sign of her.
Nothing here. Let's go downstream.
[Phol] My niece disappeared
in the morning. I wasn't home.
When Chompoo disappeared from the village,
all the relatives gathered together
at her mother's house.
[tense music plays]
She must have gone over there.
Chompoo was the granddaughter
and the flesh and blood of Taen's family.
We had the opportunity
to take care of her.
Chompoo connected everyone.
If we fought, we'd stop for her.
SOMPORN LARBPHO
"AUNT TAEN," CHOMPOO'S AUNWe loved each other so much
because of her.
MANOP POLSAWANG
"UNCLE MOK," VILLAGER
Sometimes, children get lost
in the forest.
[ominous music plays]
It's dangerous.
There are snakes and mosquitoes.
[thunder rumbles]
And what will they eat?
There's no food or water.
Chompoo wouldn't just go with anyone,
and she wouldn't stray far.
People were talking a lot about Chompoo.
All they knew was she had disappeared
and that someone hurt her.
But I didn't tell my sister
what people were saying.
I didn't want her to get stressed.
Chompoo is no longer with us.
[officer 1] Oh, sh*t!
[officer 2] Yes.
[Anamai] More and more people showed up
to help search for her
because she was nowhere to be found.
[forestry officer] I went up and down
the mountain four or five times that day.
[Anamai] Officers
from the Royal Forest Department
were guided by the villagers
COMMUNITY FOREST AREA
as they were local
and knew the area well.
CHOMPOO MISSING FOR 48 HOURS
I made a post
about my child's disappearance
and put my phone number on it.
CHOMPOO IS MISSING
POSAnd then my phone kept ringing constantly.
DISAPPEARED MAY 11 9:30 A.M.
KOK KORK VILLAGE
Inside?
[Anamai] Everyone was involved
in the search.
Check the ditch. Check it.
Check all the ditches.
Everyone looked in the swamps
and everywhere around Kok Kork.
Dear guardian spirit of the forest,
let them achieve the results desired.
Is it on the right? Follow him.
There were shamans and monks coming,
saying Chompoo was here and there.
[woman sobbing]
Mediums told us to do this and that.
We did everything.
PATCHARAMON PATCHARAPA"SAWITREE," CHOMPOO'S MOTHER
May it be gold, be diamond, be glass.
[reporter] Does this mean
you mostly believed the shamans back then?
Even if I didn't believe them,
I'd still do it.
[chanting faintly]
When the monks came to the village,
we followed their guidance,
for peace of mind.
We were hopeful.
CHOMPOO MISSING FOR 72 HOURS
By the fourth day of the search,
I was exhausted.
-[soldier] They're searching over there.
-That's it.
-Yes, right there.
-Jud.
[Anamai] I couldn't walk anymore,
because I had barely eaten
or drunk any water.
I didn't sleep at all because I went out
to look for her whenever I could.
[rescuers speak inaudibly]
I had a bad feeling.
There wasn't even a place
for people to sit.
And for me, I didn't even eat or drink.
We've looked. Not here, nothing.
Someone called and reported
that they saw a pair of shoes.
[Sawitree] Okay.
They didn't specify
whether they were girls' or boys' shoes.
Kids' shoes.
But they said
they were little kids' shoes.
[bird squawks]
[Mok] Someone said
they had seen a pair of kids' shoes
but didn't know whose they were,
so they came down to report them.
[villagers calling Chompoo]
[soldier] Check up front, go up there.
[man 1] Yes.
If your soul is still here, come to us.
-[woman 1] Where are you, my dear?
-[man 2] Where are you?
Many forest rangers, police officers,
and villagers went out that day.
No less than 40 to 50 people
followed us up there.
[Thorn] It seemed like spirits
were in the big trees.
If we got close to them,
we got goosebumps.
I'm getting goosebumps
just talking about them.
[Mok] It was dark,
so everyone walked up in a line.
-[woman 1] Chompoo, where are you?
-[woman 2] Hey.
-[man] Hey.
-[woman 2] Where are you, Chompoo?
[Mok] We shone the flashlight
because it was dark.
[woman 2] Hey.
[man] Hey, Chompoo, where are you?
A snake.
[woman] Hey!
-[villagers] Hey!
-[man] Oh, dear.
[Mok] We saw the snake
and ran in different directions.
[grass rustles]
And then I saw Chompoo's body.
[intriguing music plays]
-We just found her!
-We found the child.
-[man in distance] We found the child.
-[all cheer]
[man] We found her.
I decided to call my friend
who had joined the search.
I asked him what was what was happening.
He paused and didn't say anything.
And then he told me to stay calm.
And I knew in my heart
that news wouldn't be good.
[morose music plays]
I asked him over and over,
"Just tell me. Tell me what's going on."
He told me that Chompoo
had gone
to a better place.
[sniffles]
-Calm down. Calm down.
-[man] Oh, dear.
Calm down.
[inaudible]
[Sawitree] It's like someone taking
a knife and stabbing me repeatedly.
I already knew
what condition my child was in.
Don't tell me that my child was cold,
that she was in the forest,
or that she was hungry or crying.
I knew that.
[man 1] They just found it.
[man 2] Why did it turn out this way?
[Anamai] At that time,
there were so many f-- feelings.
I was just very confused back then.
DIED: MAY 14, 2019 (4-YEAR-OLD)
[Anamai] It was more than just heartbreak.
I lost my little girl,
the apple of my eye.
The person I loved the most.
I didn't want to live
in this world without her.
The picture of her lying on the ground
has stuck with me to this day.
[Taen] I prayed to Phra That Phanom,
saying I would like
the culprit who k*lled her,
whether intentionally or not,
to surrender.
I would like them to confess or to repent.
SAKHON NAKHON TEMPLE
MARUAY MARKEWONGSRICHA FAMILY
The images that are still with me
are those of Chompoo
running around playing
with her aunt,
her parents and grandparents.
Those images are all in my memory.
[news anchor] Ladies and gentlemen,
regarding the case
of Chompoo, the three-year-old-girl,
which we have been following
Yes.
[anchor 1] she was found yesterday.
However, she was already deceased.
[dog barks]
The authorities immediately deployed
forces up there.
They went to the Phu Lek Fai Forest
in the Phu Pha Yon National Park.
[reporter] The terrain here
is quite difficult.
Aside from very steep slopes,
the paths here were
quite difficult to walk
because it was full
of small and big rocks all over the place.
DISAPPEARED HERE - FOUND HERE
KM
There's no way that she could have walked
up to the area where the body was found.
One thing we could immediately tell
upon finding the body
SARAWAT KIJPANI"ICE" - REPORTER
was she couldn't
have walked there on her own.
If she couldn't have got there on her own,
someone must have taken her there.
As a result, the case is being considered
as a possible m*rder.
1,390 COMMENTS
I HOPE THEY GET
POST COMMENSOMEONE MUST HAVE DONE II HOPE THEY GET THE PERPETRATOR.
PEOPLE THESE DAYS ARE SCARY
PLEASE BRING THE CRIMINAL TO JUSTICE
[tense music plays]
Since there were no forensic tools
like CCTV cameras there,
and it happened in a forest,
all we could do was
to interrogate witnesses,
as detectives always do.
We also tried to get close
to people around the victim,
stationed officers at the scene,
and monitored their behavior,
including emotions and feelings,
body language,
facial expressions, and actions.
We looked at everything together.
We had to go
back to basic investigation principles.
[woman] Thank you.
[cop] Are you Kaewta?
-[man 1] The weather's hot.
-[man 2] I don't have problems these days.
When the investigation started, we
we were being questioned constantly.
[gentle, suspenseful music plays]
Whatever the police asked us,
we answered truthfully.
We told them everything,
because we wanted to know
everything that had happened to our child.
KITTISAK WEERACHAICHAROENSUK
JOURNALISBack then, I was already covering crime
in the Northeast,
so the station sent me to Mukdahan.
Now we walked in to the temple archway.
This is the entrance.
[intriguing, chiming music plays]
At first, I thought it would
be very challenging, and it was.
The villagers were very rural people.
I went looking for the CCTV cameras.
There were none.
I didn't know what to do.
-[officer 1] Someone came.
-[officer 2] Tell them they were gone.
[news anchor 1] Officials said
that everything found
near the child's body, along the path,
before discovering her body,
is considered evidence.
[officer 2] They went somewhere else.
[anchor 2] The only evidence
that hasn't been found
is a shirt she wore when she disappeared.
She was naked when they found her body.
Someone took her shirt.
What did they need it for?
I couldn't believe my eyes.
She was lying there still like a doll.
[unsettling music plays]
She was lying on her back,
facing this way.
Her legs were spread apart.
She was completely naked.
[Kittisak] Almost all the men
in the village became suspects.
[director] Why was it only men?
Because when they found
the body of Chompoo,
she she was not wearing
anything below the waist.
The police did DNA testing
on almost all the men in the village.
We suspected it was a drug addict,
a sex offender,
or someone who had a conflict
with her parents.
That's what we initially suspected.
[inaudible]
For this investigation, we need
to be more meticulous and detailed.
And we'll also be expanding
the inspection area.
It'll take some time.
I can't say much now.
[tense, pulsing music plays]
[cop] Watch out, the branches.
The villagers kept the body
and sent it for an autopsy.
-[cop 1] Yes, there is. Look carefully.
-[cop 2] We've put her in the car.
Chompoo's death has left her family
with unanswered questions.
They've accepted those answers
may not come.
[reporter] However,
the initial autopsy result
from the Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital
in Ubon Ratchathani
found no evidence
of sexual as*ault or physical abuse.
But the family still has doubts.
[tense music plays]
[police general] You'll notice
that the body underwent
examination three times.
Now, the first examination
by the Dong Luang Hospital
didn't include an autopsy.
The second report was done
by the Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital
in Ubon Ratchathani.
Now, based on the results of the autopsy,
they couldn't indicate the cause of death.
But the child's parents have
expressed their concerns,
as they still have doubts
about the cause of death.
The re-examinations were conducted
for this reason.
The third report was produced
by the Institute of Forensic Medicine,
Police General Hospital.
[Mok] Officers came to take the body
for another examination in Bangkok.
It was for an autopsy.
-The Police General Hospital.
-Another round of autopsy in Bangkok.
The police asked
if any relatives were going.
[cops chatter]
And since no one was,
Uncle Phol volunteered.
INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC MEDICINE
[news anchor] The uncle says
he hopes the perpetrator
isn't someone in the village.
If it turns out to be a local,
he'll have to worry for a long time,
because the perpetrator
still hasn't been found.
[Phol] The journalists must have
seen me talking about the case,
so they were interested
in interviewing me for my opinions.
And why not? I wasn't afraid
of speaking to the media.
If it's a kidnapping,
the culprit is absolutely heartless.
[cameras clicking]
Also, we can't clearly say
whether the death was caused
by starvation, dehydration, or m*rder.
We can't clearly tell that.
Therefore, regarding Chompoo's death,
we still cannot identify
what exactly caused it.
So people started to get curious again.
[officers speaking]
We became more and more interested in it,
and the audience began
to follow it more closely.
She would never go with a stranger.
She would only go with someone she knew.
[police general] If we believe this,
we must find someone
who could approach Chompoo
without making her cry.
The following is what we're considering.
The person was known to her,
close to her, and could take her places.
[Kittisak] When viewers followed
the case closely
it became strange
that so many people were interested
in the death of a child.
That made it strange.
A child went missing
and was found dead on a mountain.
But why were people so interested in it?
A huge number of people were.
Each channel had its own angle and story.
But yesterday,
Thairath TV's field reporters
received information from a villager.
He said that Chompoo's parents
could be the perpetrators.
If they were so worried about their child,
why didn't they actively search for her?
Police officers often came to visit me,
and ask if I suspected my sister.
They would ask,
"Why didn't she go up the mountain?"
They questioned everything.
[thunder rumbles]
[Anamai] Back then, they blamed us,
asking why we didn't take good care of her
and why we lost her.
It was because of us, it was our fault.
Uncle Phol said that.
[sparse, brooding music plays]
I wanted to ask this of her parents.
Why haven't they gone
up Phu Lek Fai mountain until this day?
They weren't even there
when the monks guided
Chompoo's spirit back down.
CHOMPOO'S MOM WHY DID YOU
CHOMPOO DISAPPEARED
PHOL MUST BE VERY SAD
UNLIKE HER PARENTS, WHO AREN'T SAD AT ALL
MA'AM, WHY DIDN'T YOU GO UP THE MOUNTAIN
TO LOOK FOR YOUR CHILD'S BODY?
SOMEONE WHO TRULY LOVES THEIR CHILD
SHOULDN'T CLAIM TO BE TOO TIRED
ISN'T IT STRANGE?
THE PARENTS WAITED AT HOME FOR NEWS
WHILE THE VILLAGERS WENT LOOKING
FOR THE KID AT NIGH[reporter] Do you insist
that you'd never hurt your child?
Yes.
If the person saying this has evidence,
then come arrest me.
To the person who said this,
please don't make baseless accusations.
[Anamai] We were angry, very angry,
but we didn't respond to any of it.
We had to be patient
and let the legal process run its course.
[lightning crashes]
At that time, we didn't give interviews
or talk to the media.
[tense music plays]
We didn't explain anything
or speak publicly about it.
We just stayed quiet
and cooperated
with the police investigation.
Sometimes, I interviewed Chompoo's parents
until they became mad at me.
Her mother isn't good with words.
She didn't appear much
in the media or cry,
so the villagers were like,
"She k*lled her own child."
I THOUGHT HER MOM NEVER HIKED
THE MOUNTAIN, BUT NOW SHE SAYS SHE DID!
BEFORE, A FOREST FORAGER SAID
HE HEARD TWO MEN'S VOICES
WERE THEY HER DAD AND OTHER UNCLE?!
THEY SEEM CLOSE
I SUSPECT HER PARENTS THE MOST.
HER BODY WAS CAREFULLY PLACED
I'M SICK OF SAWITREE ALWAYS ACCUSING PHOL
THE WHOLE COUNTRY SUSPECTS HER
AND HER HUSBAND
SHE SHOULD QUESTION HERSELF
[birds chirp]
People were watching the news
and came to ask us about it.
They came to us, and so we told them.
And then they betrayed us.
They did it by talking in the media
and social media channels.
1,190 COMMENTS
KARMA IS
COMMENHOW AWFUL.
THIS WOMAN KEEPS CAUSING TROUBLE
KARMA IS CATCHING UP TO THE SINNER
[Anamai] Their betrayal hurt,
and it led to a false impression of us.
So we went online to defend ourselves.
We just got attacked in the comments.
It was horrible.
MA'AM, DIDN'T YOU THINK
YOUR CHILD COULD BE FEELING HOT?
IS OBSCENITY ALL THAT YOU COULD THINK OF?
LECTURER DR. TRYNH PHORAKSA
CRIMINOLOGISOur society is full of bias,
and has emotional expectations of others.
They expect others to act
according to their expectations.
Take sadness, for example.
When the child disappeared,
you say, "Why aren't they sad?"
The parents might be sad,
but their emotional expression
doesn't meet your expectations.
It doesn't reach the level you have set.
We told ourselves, "Just survive."
"We'll find out the result tomorrow."
"We just have to get through all this."
[suspenseful music plays]
SONGPON RUENGSAMUPHOTOJOURNALISThe media gave importance to the family,
as well as Uncle Phol.
[Phol] Her parents were selective
talking to the media.
It was like the media
was on a different side.
[Songpon] Okay.
One channel was
at Chompoo's mother's house,
while the other was based
at Thorn's house,
mainly interviewing me, Taen, and Thorn.
Check, check, check, check, check.
One, two, three. One, two, three.
Between the two channels,
the coverage from Thorn's house
gained an enormous following.
The viewership kept climbing.
Yes.
[woman] The kids like you a lot.
Do you wanna see him?
Let me see.
It shot to the top of the ranks,
surpassing Thailand's
most popular TV drama,
and reaching the number one spot.
The coverage of the channel was up there.
[man chanting]
It's difficult for news
to beat dramas in ratings.
[man] The abbot will
[Songpon] The news ratings jumped
up to the top three.
It was extraordinary.
-Well
-All right, Uncle Phol.
-Uncle Phol. Start filming.
-Yes?
After you arrived, what have you found?
And why did you come here?
My boss had sent me to cover Uncle Phol.
Okay, let's get in the car.
-I've stopped the timer. I've stopped it.
-[engine starts]
[Kittisak] He turned on the music
and sang along.
I sat in the back and filmed
him singing while driving.
[Phol sings]
I sent it to my boss.
The viewers commented
on how beautiful his voice was.
The days, months, years
That I've been through in life
With twists and turns
I can't escape it, or get lost
It's the same old path repeatedly
There's no way to escape
Thank you.
The journalists were very excited
because their coverage had ratings
surpassing those of the dramas.
-[man] Take it with you, Uncle Phol.
-Right. Sure, sure.
[man] Come here.
Bonuses are based on business performance
and the ratings for that year.
[reporter] The hair was split in half.
Does that mean it was cut with a knife?
Some people got a lot.
Some probably got four months' salary,
making them very happy.
This should be it.
[Phol continues inaudibly]
[Anamai] During that time,
the media was trying to make him a star.
[tense music plays]
But I-- I remained quiet
while I waited for
for updates on my daughter's case.
[officers chatter indistinctly]
[pulsing, curious music plays]
In other countries,
when an incident like this occurs,
officials would make initial statements.
But in Thailand, they remain silent
until a case goes viral,
and only then do the police speak.
[woman] Hello. Here you go.
It would be great if they said something,
but they always stayed silent.
When the police stayed silent,
the media did the talking.
[cow lows]
[man 1] Pull it. Go further.
[reporter] As you can see,
it can just keep eating.
If you ask me whether this cow
could have eaten Chompoo's shirt,
yeah, I would say it's possible.
There were so many things
not related to the case.
[upbeat music plays]
Everything was a simulation.
I was upfront about it,
telling people what I was going to do.
I even simulated the incident
by carrying a bag of fertilizer.
I'm going to walk around
carrying a ten kilo bag of fertilizer,
which represents Chompoo's weight.
[dog sniffs and growls]
I went to the spot where she was found.
We're getting there. Almost there.
We did it to time
how long it would have taken
for the perpetrator to carry her there.
To be honest,
I didn't want to report on it,
but my boss wanted it.
For some things,
I said, "This isn't right."
But since our competitors covered it,
we had to do it too.
The viewers liked it.
Sathu.
All right, done.
[Songpon] The case kept gaining momentum.
This medium came,
and another one would do this,
the other one would do something else.
[breathing intensely]
Now this way and over here.
[firecracker bangs]
[reporter] Venerable, why'd you
light the firecrackers earlier?
-[monk] Oh.
-[bangs]
-How many in--
-It's nine.
Okay.
The meaning of the nine firecrackers
is the cleansing of the curse.
[reporter] I see.
[bangs]
The child's spirit can
now pass on peacefully,
with the demonic spirits sealed.
The journalists would follow them
and let them do whatever they wanted.
[mouthing]
Since they were already here,
we let them perform their miracles.
We let them go all out and do anything.
-[reporter] What's this snake?
-The snake will find the perpetrator.
-I see.
-And force them to reveal themselves.
-You mean chase after the perpetrator?
-Yes, chase after them.
-I see.
-[medium] Let it catch the perpetrator.
[reporter] I see. Are you serious?
So whatever the junior reporters saw,
they recorded everything.
Things that made no sense,
made sense, or were irrelevant.
They recorded it all.
The culprit still hadn't been caught then.
And here was this mentally ill person
just walking by.
[driving rock music plays]
It then became a defining moment,
if you watched the news,
of me running to the man and asking him,
"Excuse me. Do you have anything to say?"
Back then, I talked to him,
and people were saying
that the man might be involved.
As I said, the culprit hadn't been caught,
so the viewers were like,
"Yes, it's him! It might be him."
WHY DIDN'T YOU CATCH
I THINK HE'S SUSPICIOUS. FOLLOW HIM
THAT MAKES SENSE.
THERE MUST BE SOMETHING IN THE SACK
WHY DIDN'T YOU CATCH HIM?
GET IMAGES OF HIS WHOLE FACE
[Kittisak] He was then questioned
by the police.
[cop] "k*ll. It died. Deadline."
What is this here?
[suspect] No. I didn't use it.
Just putting it in order.
[cop] Why did you run away
when you saw the journalists? Well?
[suspect] I didn't want to talk to them.
-[cop] You could've stayed.
-It's a waste of time.
This man was investigated
through the official process
and was found not guilty.
[reporter] When Chompoo was alive,
it would follow her wherever she went.
It followed her everywhere.
The journalist who went
to the scene told me
that he was assigned
to follow the dog wherever it went.
[joyful molam music plays]
Som.
He was like, "What the heck?"
Why did he have to look at a dog sleeping,
follow the dog around,
and observe its sleeping habits?
[man clicks tongue]
MAYTAWEE HOLASURESEARCHER IN MEDIA STUDIES
It's entertaining.
Are we brave enough to say
that the news we watch daily
isn't news, but entertainment?
[journalists chatter]
[Maytawee] Are you brave enough?
Are we brave enough to say
that news reporting
no longer presents information as facts,
but instead presents it as entertainment?
It wasn't entertaining
because the incident was fun
or there was something
attractive about it.
It was entertaining
because of the people
involved in the incident.
Both the media and netizens online,
as well as people in real life,
were all engaged.
It was another fun day in Thailand.
Everyone is good-looking.
[Songpon] Famous people started
coming to see Uncle Phol,
and then Uncle Phol,
he started to get famous.
["Kwang Noi Chaolay" by Paraside Bangkok
Molam International Band plays]
[Oop Wiriya] I have a good eye for talent.
I've earned the nickname
"Thailand's Top Star-maker."
I have both famous artists
and celebrities.
OOP WIRIYA
TALENT SCOUFor a crime movie, we want to see
who the villain is at the end, right?
This creates interest.
And most importantly,
Uncle Phol was born handsome.
[woman] Goodness,
you're so handsome, Uncle Phol.
[Oop] So he won the hearts of the fans,
especially the ones
in their thirties, forties, and fifties.
Uncle Phol was good with his words.
He was so eloquent
that it could mesmerize people
and leave them swooning. [laughs]
I heard the governor said that he wanted
to invite me for rice transplanting.
I said, "Gosh, with a face like this,
you should be a star."
[man] You go first, Uncle Phol.
[woman] Uncle Phol, look at the camera.
Make a handsome pose.
That's so me. It's my thing.
So, I brought Uncle Phol
into the entertainment industry.
RONG KLUEA MARKEHe walked the runway,
did commercial shoots, attended events.
-[stylist] Like Tom Yuthlert.
-Hey, there's a hole at the armpit.
Going right through.
Oop taught us to walk like a model.
-Turn back please.
-[Thorn] Taught the kids as well.
[man] Teach them how to walk!
It's all about celebrity and fame.
[stylist] Oh, Aunt Thorn,
you're so beautiful.
Thank you.
[director] Was it fun walking the runway?
Tell me about it?
Well, it was fun, but I couldn't do it.
He told me to do this, and I was like
[laughs] Gosh, it was fun.
[announcer on mic] Uncle Phol!
[crowd cheers]
Please make some noise for Uncle Phol.
[Oop] Jintara and Yinglee were there.
We were onstage together,
and "Tao Ngoi" was well-received.
There were so many people!
Uncle Phol was able to make Thai people
scream and be very happy.
["Sao Sakit Mae" by the Paradise Bangkok
Molam International Band plays]
[woman] One, two, three, four!
[people cheer]
[man] Wow, you're all beautiful.
Where did you come from?
Everyone shifted their focus
to Uncle Phol.
[ominous music plays]
They completely forgot
what had happened to this child
and this case.
[soldier] Tie it.
CRIME SCENE KI[news anchor] The investigation team said
that they had cleared all questions
about Chompoo's parents and sister.
This case is of significant interest
to the public.
And as I have said before,
we will make an official announcement
if we have any updates to the progress.
-[chattering]
-[man] I'm sorry.
[police colonel] During the investigation
and evidence gathering,
we have interviewed 384 witnesses
and collected key evidence of the case,
of which 113 have been verified.
Sixteen were evidence found at the scene.
As of now, the investigation report
is 918 pages long.
And on August 11th, 2020,
the investigation team finalized
the autopsy report.
[presenter] The doctor gave the opinion
that it was highly likely
that Chompoo died
from dehydration and starvation.
The time of Chompoo's disappearance
is estimated
to be between 9:11 a.m. and 9:49 a.m.
[news reporter] Where exactly was
Uncle Phol when Chompoo went missing?
[cop] Have you eaten?
We traced the timeline and simulated
the incident to see what happened.
Things became strange
because there were many inconsistencies.
[suspenseful, ethereal music plays]
[Kittisak] His account of time and place
kept changing every day.
On the 11th, he took a shower,
surveyed the land with Chompoo's mother,
rode his motorcycle back home
with Aunt Taen, and took a shower again.
Went to pick up a monk,
and then he dropped the monk
in Nong Sung Tai.
[Kittisak] Back then,
you didn't know Chompoo had disappeared?
[Phol] No, I didn't.
When they got home,
they learned about Chompoo
and went out to search for her.
But when I asked him
about the date he went up the mountain,
he seemed to have gotten
the details mixed up.
My partner told me
that she hadn't seen Chompoo
and that she didn't know where she'd gone.
I told her the monk was in the car.
"Let's go drop him off."
MAY 11, 2020 - SURVEYED LAND, WENT HOME,
LEARNED ABOUT CHOMPOO, DROPPED OFF MONK
Based on the timeline, the uncle shouldn't
have known that she'd gone missing.
His accounts didn't match
what he told police.
[cop 1] Watch over here.
[cop 2] Here, right?
[cop 1] Try to check
the personal belongings.
-Two sheets?
-[cop 1] Yeah, there are pictures.
There are two cabinets of clothes.
[Phol] Multiple police units came.
Separate at the cars.
[Phol] They let me specify the time,
what I did, and with whom.
-So, no assets have been damaged.
-Okay.
They compiled the incidents
within 24 hours
and interviewed people about the timing.
So I had to look for witnesses myself.
But most people didn't like me,
so who would I find to be my witness?
All I had was Taen,
who was with me all the time.
[man] Why do you look younger?
[Taen] When they investigated me,
I got the timeline mixed up.
I didn't remember.
I had expected that they would
direct the questions at us,
as they were also investigating
the parents at the same time.
[reporter] Can you give me an example
of the questions directed at you
that were meant
to investigate the parents?
Well, like when they asked about time.
[praying woman] My legs hurt. [chuckles]
[news anchor] Today, the mother said
the only person she still suspects
is Uncle Phol.
I want him to explain himself.
We live in a small village.
Everyone in the village, I, the father,
and Sading, were investigated.
If Uncle Phol had answered the questions
consistent from the beginning,
not showing any suspicion,
I think the police
wouldn't have suspected him.
Neither would I.
I feel guilty, but I have to pursue this.
If the case goes quiet
and the police are gone,
how will I live
while constantly suspecting Uncle Phol?
[reporters chatter]
[Phol] For me, saying, "I feel offended"
would be too strong.
I'd rather say I feel more slighted.
LIKE IF YOU THINK PHOL DIDN'T DO ICOMMENWHY DO YOU KEEP ASKING PHOL
TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF?
HE'S SAID ALL THAT HE HAD TO SAY
PLEASE SHOW PHOL SOME SUPPOR[reporters chatter]
[Anamai] People already believed him
and just went crazy over him.
They went crazy for him
as if he was their hero or idol.
They couldn't believe
Uncle Phol was the perpetrator.
-Okay. I wish you luck.
-[woman] Good luck.
[Anamai] He got money and supporters.
I think he got a sackful of money
every day from donations.
Tourists came to visit.
They came all the way from the south.
They came from Chonburi,
they came from the north, and Ratchaburi.
They came to support Uncle Phol.
[upbeat luk thung music plays]
-Go inside.
-Go now. Wanna get inside?
-Did you come by yourself?
-Yes, by myself.
-Please go ahead.
-Okay.
I'm here to support Uncle Phol
in Dong Luang. Come on!
-I don't have much.
-[man] Give it to Uncle Phol.
I came all the way from Ubon Ratchathani.
Thai people are inherently compassionate.
-[woman] This is my support.
-I wish you luck.
Yes.
[reporter] Does he know that he's a fan
of Manchester United?
[Kittisak] This is how things are
when there's a call for donations
by a family.
As soon as Thai people see it,
they donate.
[woman] Are you coming?
PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL
How do you feel?
I'm happy to join Uncle Phol's event.
I intentionally came here.
-[reporter] Where did you come from?
-Sakhon Nakhon.
[reporter] Wow, that's far.
Normally, when someone becomes a suspect,
they stay quiet
and don't appear much in the media,
from what we've seen in the past.
SELL THEM ONLINE
[lilting music plays]
Sure.
[reporter] These are Uncle Phol's fans.
They came to support him.
I'm rooting for you, Uncle Phol.
[Kittisak] YouTubers came around.
After Uncle Phol drew
supporters and YouTubers,
a YouTuber village sprang up
near his house.
The YouTubers lived there.
Around 30 to 40 of them,
if I remember correctly.
[man] They've already built it.
Hi. Hello, everyone.
Welcome back to the channel.
It's me, Boom Noi Roi Et, as usual.
Please like and share my content.
[production staff chatting]
SURACHAI SUWANNAKI"BOOM NOI ROI ET," YOUTUBER
-[woman] I got so caught up in it.
-Thank you.
I wanted to go there
and observe Uncle Phol's behavior.
-Hello, Aunt Thorn, Aunt Taen.
-[woman] Hello.
[Boom] Aunt Taen came to buy things today.
She came to buy things.
Wow, there's so much.
-[Phol] Get in the car.
-[woman] Tim, where are you going?
I was a fan and followed him
everywhere back then.
-Deposit this and don't withdraw it.
-Okay.
[Boom] Have a safe trip. Thank you.
Blessings to all the fans.
What they did created a condition
that the Westerners call
a parasocial relationship.
It's a relationship
where we identify ourselves
with those YouTubers and influencers,
and regard them as our friends.
[dramatic music plays]
This causes the boundaries
or lines between reality,
between individuals and society to alter.
[man] He's like our family.
[Maytawee] It was
like an interactive reality show.
It was a phenomenon.
Uncle Phol's channel earned
150,000 baht per month.
Everyone was confused.
Even famous stars couldn't make that much.
WELCOME
-Keep fighting.
-I hope all YouTubers get rich too.
-Sure. Let me get photos.
-[young woman] So many cameras.
[woman in mask] Whose photos are these?
[host] We have reached
a total of 10,000 baht.
-Uh, no, 10,000 boxes.
-I mean-- Sorry, 10,000 boxes.
RECEIP[Boom] It seemed that Uncle Phol
didn't want to talk to the YouTubers
who weren't prepared
to give him compensation.
[fans] Happy birthday to you
[man] All right.
[fans] Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday to you
[woman] Has anyone given you blessings?
[man] Are you giving this to him?
It's here. Here it is.
DON'T LET THE GUILTY ESCAPE
THE ATTACKER MIGHT STILL BE IN THE VILLAGE
IT'S SUSPICIOUS
MUKDAHAN, PREPARE FOR A HEADACHE
DON'T LET THE GUILTY ESCAPE.
THE CULPRIT MIGHT STILL BE IN THE VILLAGE
[Songpon] Kok Kork became a human zoo.
Everyone came to, like, observe
the lives of this person and that person.
-[woman 1] Take his photo.
-[woman 2] Who is that person?
-Oh, hello.
-Wait. Yes. Yes.
PHON AND TAEN'S HOUSE
KOK KORK
[Phol] At Kok Kork,
the majority of the villagers,
from as far as I could tell,
are divided into different groups.
I mean, there are many groups
with different opinions.
I was afraid
that if I said something off-topic,
they would film it and broadcast it.
[YouTuber speaks indistinctly]
[Thorn] Because YouTube is
all over the world.
These days, YouTubers don't
love each other like before.
I had mixed feelings
about what was happening.
In the past, our community was quiet.
We were like family.
Yes, I'll take photos.
[Anamai] Later on, we became
divided into different groups.
We couldn't even look each other
in the eye back then.
-Hey, it's fine.
-Do you want money?
-Hey, it's fine.
-I can transfer it to you directly.
[Phol] I only remember good things
when YouTubers stayed with us
as part of the media.
But most importantly, what I'm proud of
is that millions of people still want
to see how I am as a person.
From the past to the present
and the future,
I think the media has
both good sides and bad sides.
-[woman] All right.
-Come over here.
We can't expect media
to show only positive sides of us.
We all have bad sides.
No one is 100% perfect.
[birds chirp]
[children laugh and play]
[intriguing music plays]
[Dr. Trynh] In humans,
there are genetics in the brain
that make us prefer good-looking people.
We tend to believe
good-looking people more.
[Phol] This is my hometown.
-[man] Hello!
-[Phol] Hello, Jee.
Hi. I'm bringing the reporters
to hang out here.
[Jee] Okay.
This here, this was
the entrance to my school.
I was a fast learner. I'm smart.
I'm not praising myself.
My teachers told me this.
This is where I was born
and where I grew up.
I spent less than 15 years in my hometown.
After that, I went to live in Bangkok.
That's where I gained life experience.
[ethereal music plays]
WANG THONG FIELD
I have experience in security work,
similar to police officers and soldiers.
I understand the process.
I was head of security.
And if someone tries to harm hotel guests,
I must investigate and ask around, right?
The grandiose type is characterized
by the belief
in one's possession of powers over others.
This is called delusion.
[Phol] I became more aware of my position
and how I presented myself
because I became a public figure,
with everyone wanting
to know about my life.
With a character like this,
ordinary people wouldn't notice
any signs of abnormality
or suspicion in the case,
but an officer would
definitely find it suspicious.
But suspicion alone isn't enough
for conviction.
We need to use
forensic science and physical evidence.
[producers chatter]
[YouTuber] Thank you for watching.
Uncle Phol has now arrived.
SOMKIAT ROJANAWARAKAMON
LAWYER
-[man] Look at the camera.
-There it is.
[Somkiat] When I went to meet
Uncle Phol for the first time,
I felt sorry for him
and wanted to help him.
I handled six cases
for Uncle Phol and Aunt Taen.
[ominous music plays]
After spending time together
and getting to know him,
my perspective changed.
[mellow music plays on speakers]
Uncle Phol isn't as ordinary
as I initially thought he was.
I think he's quite intelligent.
Quite intelligent.
And in some ways, he's ill-tempered.
He's somewhat self-centered.
I once heard the villagers say
that he has two personalities.
One when he's in a good mood
and one when he's not.
[Boom] I found a hut
to rent in the village.
It was right behind his house.
Sometimes, when he woke up,
I would see him shout at his wife,
or something like that.
-Has Thorn come?
-[woman] I think so.
-[man] She came. She walked
-Okay.
[Boom] The tone he would use was
very different when he gave an interview.
-I saw her just now.
-They're all gone?
They must have left already.
It was not a soft tone that he spoke with,
it became harsh or something like that.
He was very different
in front of the cameras to off-camera.
There was a problem.
He had a problem with a journalist.
[reporter] I came to talk to you first.
[Kittisak] He might have been
under stress and pressure
because many things were going on.
He was a suspect,
and all the journalists were covering
the same issues.
-There are many issues.
-Let me see which channel this is.
-Come, give. Give it to me.
-It's okay.
-Gimme the mic. Let me hold this.
-I can't give it to you.
This channel? Come, let go!
Let me hold it.
-I can't give it.
-It's okay. Let me hold it!
-What's wrong? Let me hold it!
-No.
-Please don't hurt me.
-It's okay! It's okay.
-Please don't.
-Let me hold it!
This made us realize
that he was hotheaded.
-[reporters] Sir!
-[Phol] Hey. Hey!
[reporters] Sir.
-[Phol] Hold on. Back off first.
-Don't hurt me.
-[journalist] Sir, sir, sir!
-[reporter] Don't hurt me.
-[Phol] Go!
-Don't hurt me. I'm a reporter.
I'm doing my job.
I didn't do anything wrong.
[inaudible]
I've said it before, that it hurts
in the spot where you get pinched.
It hurts where you get pinched.
You can't get pinched here
and hurt somewhere else.
You pinch my heart, so it hurts there.
That's why I said you hurt my feelings
when I was always nice to you reporters.
Let's take a look one more time
on the first day,
when Chompoo's body was found.
[tense music plays]
[woman] Excuse me, do you have
MAY 14, 2020
CHOMPOO'S BODY WAS FOUND
[director] How was Uncle Phol
the moment he saw her?
He didn't cry immediately.
-Didn't he start when he saw her?
-No, he didn't cry yet.
-[cop 1] We found the child's body.
-[cop 2] Yes.
[cop 1] We've found the child.
Report it. We've found the child.
[reporter] You're her father, right?
[man] We've found the child!
It's her dad. It's him.
[cop 1] Give us a signal.
Someone is crying.
[Taen] Hey.
But he did cry.
He cried right when the cameras got there.
The reporters arrived too.
They were only a few minutes behind.
[cop 1] Roger that.
[news anchor] This is what we call
textbook "crocodile tears."
When a person pretends to cry
to cover up their own guilt
or involvement in a crime.
People tried to make me
the villain in the media's eyes.
That I was ill-tempered
and must be a suspect.
"Look at how he is. He's ill-tempered."
"He might have done something
to her without thinking."
One day, the police called me
to talk to them.
It was a casual chat with the officers.
I was wondering if they'd
already identified the culprit.
After listening to the whole thing,
I knew immediately
that they meant Uncle Phol.
The police's work this week
involved gathering groups of people
who were involved
in the original search for Chompoo
between May 11 and 14.
They grouped them like this
to recreate the search during that time.
[officer] I didn't go anywhere.
The police investigated
and questioned everyone.
"Where were you that day?"
"What time?"
There was only one person
who couldn't answer them clearly.
The police dismissed
the others who had alibis.
They crossed off everyone,
leaving only Uncle Phol.
[news anchor 1] These are
the key witnesses according to police
COMMAND CENTER
in the case of who took the child away.
[news anchor 2] There are two people.
One is Bam's father.
And they called her Aunt Nom,
the woodcutters.
They were in a rubber plantation area,
which has a path that can walk
right up to the area
where the deceased disappeared.
[anchor 2] The area
where the body was found.
[anchor 1] They were there the same time
the culprit committed the crime.
WATCHARINS KONGKANTAW
"BAM'S FATHER," VILLAGER
I looked at the field to the side
and I saw Uncle Phol.
MAY 11, 2020
9:00-10:00 A.M. - DAY OF DISAPPEARANCE
[leaves rustling]
I saw him lurking around and wondered why.
It felt strange.
I went to talk to him.
I asked, "Did Father Ohm ask you
to come and tap the rubber trees?"
That's the owner.
[woman] He went still.
Yeah, he just froze.
But in my case, I had a witness,
but I couldn't mention them in the news.
This witness saw the culprit,
but the police asked me
not to mention them,
so I told the station
that this person was a key witness.
The police asked us
not to report them, so we didn't.
While they were cutting wood,
they saw someone carrying the child.
They saw them walking
from behind the child's house,
passing the bamboo bush.
But the police asked us
to keep quiet, so we did.
[director] Who was carrying her?
The suspect was. [laughs]
[Phol and Taen] I pay homage to Buddha.
I'm focused on myself.
Am I worried about other people?
Yeah, of course I am.
I can also tell you
about Bam's father's incident.
And so I
[news anchor] Bam's father's story
is very important to the case.
He is an actual witness
and never retracted his testimony.
After seeing the news with Bam's father
[engine starts]
the next day, I rode my motorcycle
to Bam's father's house.
It was just across from mine.
I asked him if he could
remember things accurately
and to tell the reporters that way.
People around him were displeased with me.
They tried to make me scared.
Really scared.
They came to my house at night
[inaudible]
trying to hit me with an iron bar.
They also took out a knife
to stab me.
But I was on my guard,
ready to fight them.
They also got scared
and yelled at me before leaving.
[director] After you found out
that the police suspected Uncle Phol,
how did they tell you to wait?
[mysterious music plays]
[people chatter]
[Anamai] I wanted him arrested,
but we had to wait.
If they were to arrest him,
they had to find evidence to tie him down,
so he couldn't get away and fight.
I waited for evidence.
[man] Are you ready? One, two, three.
[woman] Change poses.
[Somkiat] In Chompoo's case,
we and the police officers had to confirm
that we had forensic evidence
proving Uncle Phol's involvement.
[man] Let's take photos
[Anamai] The police came
to inspect his car,
which Chompoo often sat in.
It was common for her
to take rides in his car.
When the police came
and asked to inspect my car,
I opened the doors on both sides.
I pulled the windscreen wipers up,
then I stood next to the car.
I let them do whatever they wanted to do.
"You want to inspect the car?
Go right ahead."
They got in the car
and inspected this and that.
They did their job,
while I stood there
with my arms crossed and watched them,
wondering what they were
going to do with me.
[man 1] Did you get it?
-[man 2] It's enough.
-[man 1] Take some photos too.
[man 2] What about the middle part?
[Phol] I didn't think
what they were doing was right.
I don't know
where they collected those hairs from,
but the locations
where they were collected
were reported in the news.
[tense music plays]
They were all dressed in their uniforms
and put the yellow tape around the area.
I was freaked out
by what they were interested in.
They asked me which outfit I wore
to tap rubber trees on the 11th.
I couldn't remember
because it was a long time ago,
and I didn't pay attention
to the clothes I wore.
I wore whatever was available,
so I couldn't remember.
I never cleaned my car's interior.
How was I supposed to verify the facts?
I had no idea
what they had brought and collected.
They didn't tell me where they got it.
Why didn't they let me look at it?
What were they afraid of?
[news anchor] One of the hairs
found in Uncle Phol's car
had a cut angle and side surface
that matched two strands of Chompoo's hair
which were collected from the area
where her body was found.
At least three strands were found
in Uncle Phol's car.
[man] Hold on.
I'll also send this photo along.
PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
[Anamai] It's like a rope.
All the evidence and witnesses,
including hair,
they're all important threads
that need to come together.
They're all connected.
1 ABOUT LIFE
CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION KI[dark, pulsing music plays]
The hair strands found in the car
and from the crime scene
were cut with the same knife.
That's the main point.
MAPPING KICALIBRATION/SYSTEM
The police used
a forensic machine called a synchrotron.
[news anchor] This machine is
a synchrotron light generator.
It's a very large machine.
radiation as X-ray,
and the radiation is much more intense
than ordinary radiation.
Therefore, the analysis
can be very detailed.
Chompoo's hair at the scene was cut,
and more hairs were found
in Uncle Phol's car.
They magnified the strands
and were able to join them.
Therefore, they believe
Uncle Phol might have been
with Chompoo when she died.
THE TEAM IS THOROUGH
IT'S HARD FOR HIM TO GET AWAY WITH IWHEN THERE'S FORENSIC EVIDENCE LIKE THIS
[gloomy, ethereal music plays]
[gong rings]
Back then, we didn't understand
why he cut it.
Villagers told me he did black magic.
It's to seal the soul.
Based on our understanding
AKKARAPHONG KHAMKUN
PROFESSOR IN THAI STUDIES
there are many theories to explain it.
Could it be human sacrifice?
According to Thai beliefs,
there might be a sacrifice
of a virgin girl
who has never had a husband.
This also exists in Western movies,
where the virgins and blood
are used as offerings to Satan.
[chuckles] There are things like this.
It could be this.
There are many, many motives.
[reporter] Is it possible
that he took Chompoo
or her shirt with him to do something?
If it's really about black magic,
then I think it's possible,
if I were to take it from the perspective
of us rural Northeastern people.
[villagers chatter indistinctly]
[Sawitree] There should be
something on the shirt to help identify
the perpetrator.
They tried to associate me
with black magic.
I had nothing to do
with black magic whatsoever.
I shall die a horrible death
because of her.
They even went so far as to say
that I stuck the incense sticks
upside-down.
[mysterious music plays]
In the case of sticking
incense sticks upside-down,
or whatever we have seen,
it signifies that he didn't want
to make a promise.
He didn't want
to commit himself to the vow.
It's a way of declaring
that he wouldn't commit to the vow.
-[man] What about the tree?
-It's already nice.
[people chatter]
PU MAHAMUNI
YOUTUBER
Cutting hair is merely to conceal things.
Cutting the girl's hair
and taking off her clothes,
leaving her naked,
were done to divert attention
away from the truth.
Do you understand?
For example, I took the child away.
I was afraid
people would find out that I did it,
so I had to take off her clothes
to suggest that Chompoo
had been dragged away and r*ped.
[news anchor]
Everything was well-planned, you see?
They took off the child's clothes
to disguise it as a sexual as*ault,
so they can blame it on someone else.
From the news, I felt
that people didn't believe it at first.
Because he seemed
like an ordinary country person,
living a country life.
He probably wouldn't do any harm.
And more importantly,
he was Chompoo's uncle or something,
and he was close to her.
[Taen] Just take a look.
Take a real good look.
Could an uncle do this to his niece?
Why would he go that far?
What's the motive? What's the reason?
There must be a motive and a reason.
When someone kills a person,
it's probably not
just about feeling an urge
and acting on it immediately.
[news anchor] Before Chompoo's case,
the family did have
conflict with each other.
I COULD TELL IT WAS ABOUT MONEY.
THEY PICKED SIDES
NOT OUT OF MORALITY BUT OUT OF GREED.
If it's about debt,
he was the one who owed me money.
He borrowed it and wouldn't return it,
so I had to follow up.
I didn't owe him anything.
He was the one who owed me.
Are you aware of any serious conflict
that's ever happened between the families?
No, nothing serious has ever happened.
CHARN LARBPHO
CHOMPOO'S GRANDFATHER
Only some small fights.
At first, I wanted
to just ask him if he really did it.
And if so, then admit it like a man.
Say it to my face.
How could you do that to a child?
What did you do it for?
What did she ever do to upset you?
And if you were mad at us parents,
then just take it out on us.
Take it out on me.
Not a child.
[news anchor] The police requested
the Mukdahan Provincial Court
to issue a warrant
for Mr. Chaiphol Whipha,
or Uncle Phol, on three charges
JUNE 1, 2021
including abducting a child
under 15 years old away from her parents,
abandoning a child under nine years of age
with the intention of abandoning her
without a caregiver.
-[cop 1] Hold on. Don't.
-[reporter 1] Okay, sure.
-[reporter 2] Come inside.
-[cop 1] In front.
[cop 2] Back off. Move back.
[cop 3] We're detaining Mr. Chaiphol,
there is a warrant for his arrest.
-[reporter 3] after having waited years.
-[reporter 4] We're following this.
[news anchor] Uncle Phol's wife
also faced charges.
Aunt Taen was charged with two charges,
including tampering with the corpse
to change the outcome of the case.
This is the same charge as Uncle Phol.
Second, she's the co-conspirator
in committing the offense.
Hey, this case was getting strange.
I thought,
"Why do I have an arrest warrant?"
[tense, pulsing music plays]
I went to the police to surrender myself
and to prove my innocence.
[reporter] Uncle Phol.
[news anchor 1] Well, this is not
something we see very often.
[anchor 2] Yes.
[anchor 1] A suspect being flown
in a police helicopter.
They treated me
as if I was this big-time drug dealer.
ROYAL THAI POLICE
The police escorted me on a helicopter.
[dramatic classical music plays]
The officers in the Hummer
were all my fans.
They were taking selfies
with me like friends.
They let me carry the keys
and took photos with me for memories.
"Gosh! I like you." Something like this.
[officer] Don't push.
Calm down. Don't push.
Turn left.
I was in a cell on the second day.
My first time ever being locked up.
And on the second day,
I sang the song "The Truth in My Heart."
I was accused of the wrongdoing
Oh dear, what a life
I gave you my heart
Taking good care of you
While you're still here
A police officer who was there went
[onlookers applaud]
Instead of stopping me,
"Hey, you're a suspect."
"You're a prisoner."
The YouTubers are down there
and tried to capture me singing.
"Hey, Phol is singing. Come see!"
DECEMBER 20, 2023
[news anchor] Today, the Mukdahan Court
of First Instance scheduled
the reading of the verdict
in Chompoo's case.
As for the latest update,
the court has passed a verdict.
[suspenseful music plays]
When they read the verdict,
I nudged my lawyer next to me.
"Hey, Pan, what sentence am I facing?
Wasn't the case dismissed?"
The lawyer said, "Hold on.
Calm down, Phol."
"You're facing a sentence."
I started crying.
I couldn't hold back my tears.
I really didn't know
I was facing a sentence.
IN THAILAND, THERE IS NO PUBLIC REGISTER
FOR THE RULINGS
OF THE COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE
OR THE COURT OF APPEAL.
ACCORDING TO MEDIA COVERAGE,
THE MUKDAHAN PROVINCIAL COURSENTENCED PHOL TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON,
RULING HIM GUILTY UNDER SECTIONS 291
AND 317 OF THE CRIMINAL CODE
FOR NEGLIGENCE,
CAUSING ANOTHER PERSON'S DEATH,
AND ABDUCTING A CHILD AGED 15 OR UNDER
FROM HER PARENTS WITHOUT REASONABLE CAUSE.
ALL CHARGES AGAINST TAEN WERE DISMISSED.
PHOL SAID HE WOULD FILE AN APPEAL.
[Somkiat] This is a very special case.
In all my 20 years working as a lawyer,
I've never seen a case like this.
If it's a case involving m*rder
or a serious crime,
most of the time,
the court will imprison them.
The court released him on bail.
[reporter] What do we do now?
Hello, hello.
-[reporter] Hello.
-Hello.
[news anchor] Uncle Phol looked
like he was about to cry,
but he also said that he accepts
the ruling of the Court of First Instance.
He said that he accepts the order
and the rest is up to his lawyer's team.
[Phol] I'm still wondering
how the hairs ended up in my car.
But if the hairs that were collected
If they were really Chompoo's hairs,
then I tried to tell them
and my lawyer's team
that my car was never washed,
and that Chompoo used to ride
in my car all the time.
The reporters saw that I've been fighting
over the forensic reports.
The hair strand analyzed and the cut mark.
I don't know what they mean
by "the cut mark."
[news anchor] Here is an announcement
from Boem, Uncle Phol's lawyer.
The hair strand is biological material,
unlike ordinary materials,
non-biological matter.
I don't know how long
that the hairs were stored
before they were put
but scientifically, that's unreliable.
The evidence could become contaminated
by someone else, or degraded over time.
[insects chirping]
AUGUST 12, 2025
[Anamai] If I'm being honest
THE DAY BEFORE PHOL'S APPEAL
I think about it all the time.
The memories are always in my head.
When I think about it,
I always-- I always cry.
If I could turn back time,
I would give anything, anything,
just to spend some more time
with my daughter.
[melancholic music plays]
Because she was only with me for
for three years and two months.
It was so short.
MUKDAHAN
ISAN REGION, THAILAND
[clock chimes]
I'm prepared for the worst.
It's like there are two people
in one body.
One asking, "If this is the outcome,
will you accept it?"
The other side of me can accept it
because I've already prepared for it.
I've prepared for the pain.
Yet
I just can't figure out
what the motive was,
what he was thinking, how he did it,
or what he did it for.
[Phol] What's your name? Stack them.
[man 1] Go get it downstairs.
Use it instead of a pencil.
[man 2] Now. Now.
[Anamai] I want this to be
the last case like this ever.
I want justice to be served.
-[Phol] Can you walk?
-[man] Yes.
Can you walk?
[Somkiat] I think
Uncle Phol's case will be a lesson
many people will need to learn.
This includes how the justice system
in our country has changed.
The truth won't emerge
if social media court is allowed
to meddle with facts in the case.
Uncle Phol's case is
a very good example of it.
Even lawyers like me were shocked.
I would like to tell journalists
who are hungry for news,
or do not care about the news they get,
wait until this happens
to you or your own families
and you'll understand how difficult it is
to bear the consequences.
[director] How powerful
do you think social media has become?
It's very powerful.
When we create YouTube videos
or similar media,
we have to accept the consequences.
We have to do it well
and think before we say something.
Because once our words
are out on social media,
we can't take them back.
Every word has a price to pay.
[Boom] She was like a little angel
who unfortunately only lived
for a short time,
but I knew it could help me make money.
I won't deny that I got famous from here.
I got famous from Chompoo's case.
[Oop] I have never met you,
but I have seen your photos.
In your next life,
I wish you happiness, with loving parents,
and free from harm
of cruel and evil people.
To this day,
all the coverage was damn pointless.
It's like it came and went by,
and that's it.
Everything is now the past.
And what's next?
AUGUST 13, 2025
UNCLE PHOL'S APPEAL VERDIC[gentle, suspenseful music plays]
The story behind Chompoo's m*rder
is complicated.
Full of secrets, and has ended up
going through the justice system.
This story is a long and epic tale,
starting in 2020
[woman] What did he do it for? Look!
and continuing right up until now,
in 2025.
[car doors closing]
[producer] How do you feel? Relaxed?
Well, I'm nervous.
-[producer] You're nervous. I get it.
-Nervous. I'm nervous.
Well, as you can see,
I've had to wait for today
for the courts to read the verdict.
It's been a very difficult time.
-Let's wait and see.
-[producer] Okay.
[Phol] We should hear some good news
this afternoon.
I've fought until today
because I just want
my family to get justice,
like other families
whom justice has served.
[tense music plays]
[reporters and onlookers chatter]
[man] Don't shout. Keep quiet.
I came to support Uncle Phol.
[reporter] So why are you still his fan?
[woman] Well, he's a kind-hearted person.
Even though many things have happened,
with people insulting and accusing
Uncle Phol and Aunt Taen,
the remaining YouTubers
still have faith in them.
We have seen his actions and behavior
since we started living in Kok Kork.
If we don't see
Uncle Phol come out at noon,
it means the court
must have already sentenced him.
[droning music plays]
the epic case of Uncle Phol,
who is accused of causing the death
of the three-year-old girl Chompoo.
Today we have the verdict
from the Appeals Court.
They have increased the sentence
for Uncle Phol.
[dramatic music plays]
The Court of Appeals has increased
the sentence to 26 years.
I think I'm going to faint.
[news anchor 2]
The Mukdahan Provincial Court read
the verdict
of the Court of Appeals Region 4.
The court sentenced Mr. Chaiphol Whipha,
the first defendant, on all three charges.
Fifteen years imprisonment
for m*rder with oblique intent,
ten years imprisonment for abducting
a child under 15 years of age
from her parents.
And for tampering with the corpse
at the crime scene
where the body was found,
he will be sentenced
to one year in prison.
That brings the total
to 26 years imprisonment.
CHOMPOO HAS RECEIVED JUSTICE
-[man] Keep fighting!
-[woman] Look at this camera.
Everyone who came here
couldn't eat or sleep.
I don't even know what to say.
We did our best. Well
[melancholic music plays]
-I'm rooting for you.
-Come on. Let's go together.
-I'm rooting for you.
-Okay.
-[Mahamuni] Do you feel better now?
-Keep fighting.
Yes, yeah, that's good.
What's your name?
I cried.
The punishment is more severe this time.
I would like to thank everyone
working on Chompoo's case.
She has received justice this time.
-[speaking indistinctly]
-[Mahamuni] There will be friends coming.
[Anamai] I feel
I was just so happy,
I was shaking and crying.
This is something I've been waiting
a long time for.
After they found my child's body,
the police carried out
an investigation and
we had to wait.
We waited two years, three years,
four years, five years.
And now, finally,
Chompoo has received justice.
[tender music plays]
[Anamai] I'm not satisfied.
I'm very sad for what he did to our child.
I want to tell those who have been
following this news from the beginning,
don't just believe
everything you see and hear.
It takes time to get to the truth.
And to the media out there,
who turned a suspect into a celebrity,
remember you have
a professional obligation
to report the truth.
I hope this is the last case like this.
We can't turn criminals into celebrities.
We can't let this happen again.
I told my daughter, may she rest in peace.
May she become an angel in heaven.
AFTER THE VERDICFROM THE COURT OF APPEAL,
BOTH PHOL AND THE PROSECUTOR
STILL HAVE ONE LAST CHANCE
TO APPEAL TO THAILAND'S SUPREME COUR["So Tan Bhant" by Chockchai Bunon
and Surasit Kong Sinkeow plays]
[music fades]
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Chompoo: Lost & Forgotten (2026)
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