Danish man survives murder attempt by wife and her aunt over life insurance payout in Thailand
Per, a Danish man residing in Thailand, was nearly killed in a car accident in April 2022. His Thai wife and her aunt had hired a hitman to murder him for his life insurance payout of ten million baht (approximately two million Danish kroner). Per was struck by a car traveling between 70 and 100 kilometers per hour while on his morning bike ride. He barely survived, spending 21 days in intensive care with a shattered vertebra and fractures in his neck vertebrae.
Per had been warned about his wife’s potential harmful intentions but did not believe them until the incident. He believes the motive behind the murder attempt was money. The car that hit him ended up in a field due to the severe collision.
Per has lived in Thailand for many years, having studied at a university in Bangkok and worked as a civil engineer for large companies in both Thailand and Denmark. He is currently self-employed, selling and constructing large special machines for factories worldwide.
In court, Per’s wife and her aunt were sentenced to life imprisonment for hiring a hitman to kill him. Both have appealed the verdict, with the trial likely to take place in the fall. Per, despite the murder attempt, does not wish for his wife to serve a long prison term. He still resides in their shared home in Thailand, with his father-in-law as his closest neighbor. After the criminal trial, a divorce case awaits.
Per’s case is extraordinary, but threats and violence for money are not uncommon in Thailand. According to Christa Herum, a priest for the Danish Church in Bangkok, there are strong personalities in Thai families who can push to get as much money as possible from the husband, sometimes resorting to threats or violence.