Police arrested Tanapon Pareesen, 43, on Thursday night as soon as a Chiang Mai Court approved a warrant for his arrest.

His wife Janjira Kerdlaew, who was a 50-year-old nurse, had not reported to work at her hospital in Chiang Mai province since December 9. Her body was found three days later, burnt beyond recognition.

Tanapon remained calm and smiled from time to time after his arrest. He has denied any wrongdoing.

“It seems like he made preparations to defend himself beforehand,” Pol Maj- General Pittaya Sirirak, the acting deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 5, said yesterday.

Tanapon has been charged with pre-meditated murder and concealing the body. He has hired a lawyer.

Police plan to grill him in a bid |to get him to |confess.

He was implicated in the crime by Niran Kaewtecha, a former convict who recently completed a jail term for murdering a rape victim.

Speaking to police, Niran alleged that Tanapon had planned to kill Janjira for months and had prepared wood and tyres to burn her body.

Niran alleged that Tanapon strangled Janjira and put her body in a sack. Tanapon helped to burn her body, Niran alleged.

He alleged that Tanapon hired him to kill Janjira out of anger because she had verbally abused him for having extramarital affairs and had often demanded that he return money he owed her. They had split twice because of his womanising but got back together in February, he said.

Tanapon’s younger sister is married to Niran’s younger brother.

Niran alleged that Tanapon offered him Bt100,000 to dispose of Janjira’s body but eventually told him to take possession of her car instead. Police found the car in Niran’s possession.