A man was arrested for allegedly beating a seven-year-old child to death because he messed up his flower beds.

Thanachot Pangruean, 7, had been playing outside with friends but did not return home for dinner in Chiang Rai on January 16.

Police found Thanachot’s lifeless body almost three kilometres away from their home. His face had been smashed by a hard object while several wounds were found across his body.

A hoe, the boy’s shoe, a wooden stick, and broken pieces of toy car was found near the body. Several footprints – appearing to be from an adult and a child – were also found on the ground where he laid.

Officers began searching for the alleged killer and later arrested Sinchai Kasetsopapan, 29, at a nearby home on Saturday (Jan 23). He was taken on a crime re-enactment later that day.

Sinchai reportedly confessed that he was out hunting birds and he shot the youngster, who had annoyed him in recent weeks.

Thanochot allegedly told police that the young lad would eat fruits from the trees on his land and mess up the flowed beds.

He said that after shooting him he battered him with a piece of wood up to ten times then dumped his body in the undergrowth near a banana plantation.

However, Sinchai said that he didn’t hit the boy in the head as he didn’t mean to kill him.

There was also the markings on the banana tree that was chopped by a knife, but Sinchai said he used a hoe to chop the tree.

Police Colonel Thanomsak Yotpaen, who is investigating the case, said: ‘We believe there is more than one person involved with this murder so we are investigating further.

‘The suspect confessed to killing the boy because he had stored-up resentments about his behaviour.’

Sinchai has previous convictions including killing his half-sister in Prachuab Kiri Khan five years ago.

He had also committed child abduction of a minor not older than 15 years old and three cases of child battery.