Pi Tia’s case remains open

 | Mon 18 May 2020 18:02 ICT
Following reports posted earlier today that a man had admitted to taking the Chiang Mai University’s unofficial mascot, Pi Tia for a drive on the night he went missing, resulting in an accident that killed him, we have more news to report on the matter as well as a correction to make.

According to the confession of the man, it was his back tyre that ran over and killed Pi Tia when he fell off his motorbike, and not another vehicle’s wheels, as previously reported.

The foundation Watchdog Thailand has also stepped in to help with investigations and following confessions of the man, say that there may be one other person involved.

There are people on the internet who are saying that the death of Pi Tia was plotted, had many players involved and was premeditated. Apart from accusing a group of people of being ‘Pi Tia haters’ there is as yet no explanation as to why anyone would deliberately plot to kill the beloved dog.

Netizens have pointed out that the person who took Pi Tia on his motorbike that night of the 3rd March appeared to be wearing a different top from the person seeing riding the bike out of the university, many speculating that there was more than one person involved. This has led to many people on social media demanding the man confess to his plot and accomplices.

Following CCTV footage, it appears that Pi Tia was taken out of the front gate of the university, up Huay Kaew road and then down a dark and quiet soi towards Chang Khian. This behaviour, claim internet sleuths, is very suspicious. On further inspection there was a loud sound, some saying a gunshot, which could be heard on the CCTV at 8.50pm, another reason why many suspect that he was murdered. However, this speculation goes against the autopsy results, which do not show gunshot wounds.

Police say that after talking to the man, he maintained that it was an accident. That Pi Tia was simply joining him on a drive out of the university, something many others have done with the dog, and that he just fell and got run over by accident. The man was so afraid that he would receive backlash from society that he decided to dump his body by the side of the road in the dark.

Watchdog Thailand is considering whether to accuse the man of theft as Pi Tia was registered at the university and could be argued to be university property. They have also not discounted criminal intent and say that they have many more witnesses to interview before considering bringing up criminal charges.