Tanapon Pareesen, 43, has denied wrongdoing in the gruesome killing but his neighbour, Niran Kaewtecha, has confessed to his own involvement and implicated Tanapon.

The murder is believed to have taken place on Friday before the victim Janjira Kerdlaew, a 50-year-old nurse working in Chiang Mai province, was reported missing by Tanapon.

“We have found convincing evidence against the husband,” Chiang Mai police chief Pol Colonel Piyaphan Pattarapongsin said yesterday.

Niran told police Tanapon had hired him to kill Janjira out of anger because she had verbally abused him for having extramarital affairs. They had split twice because of his womanising but got back together in February, he said.

Niran said Tanapon initially 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.

“Tanapon squeezed her throat until she lost consciousness and put her body in her own car and told me to get rid of her body,” Niran reportedly said in his confession to police.

He added that he thought Janjira was dead when he decided to set her body on fire but she suddenly showed signs of struggle. “Anyway, I continued the burning,” he said.

Niran was released from jail three months ago after completing a separate sentence for rape.

Tanapon, who is now in custody as a witness, went to police on Sunday to report that his wife been missing since Friday. Police later found the burned body in the plantation.

DNA tests are being carried out to confirm it is Janjira’s corpse, as Niran has confessed.

Documents found in Janjira’s locker at work suggested she had feared for her life for some time, police said, adding that Tanapon had financial troubles.

“The husband also contacted a lawyer even before he contacted police,” Piyaphan said.