Life on the Beach, or Life Lost
Picture a 52‑year‑old, his wife, and a one‑year‑old strolling down Pattaya’s pier… and then…
On March 6 Thai police logged a man named Wael Nabil Salman Zureikat at a guest house in Pattaya. He was travelling with his wife and their infant, eager to soak up the sun. But two days later, the cruise ship changed direction.
The Unthinkable Discovery
- Monday afternoon: fishermen spotted a tiny body floating off Pattaya’s main pier. It turned out to be a one‑year‑old boy who was in a stroller – a little sentry from the sandbox.
- Tuesday press conference: Thailand’s Immigration Chief, Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, revealed that Zureikat had confessed to the crime, claiming he’d strapped his son into a stroller and sent him straight into the Gulf of Thailand.
The Motive? An Unlikely Confession
“The man told his wife he couldn’t raise the boy and didn’t want to have children,” Surachate said. “It’s a heartbreaking story.” The wife filed a complaint, thrusting the case into the spotlight.
Legal Consequences
Zureikat will face charges under Section 289 of Thailand’s penal code – “intentional killing” of a child. If convicted, the maximum penalty is the death penalty.
Remembering the Boy
When you hear about a tragedy like this, you’re left wondering how a life could end so abruptly: a little stroller turned into a lifeboat for a one‑year‑old’s final moment. The tragic part is that the boy could never have told us exactly why he was taken to that sea.
