A Norwegian man has been arrested over the alleged murder of his gay Thai lover following a row about bills at their home in northern Thailand.

Ben Eike, 58, had been living with his boyfriend Chalit Wongkham, 39, in Chiang Mai province.

Police allege he slashed the Thai man's throat in a fit of rage over household expenses.

A neighbour said that he saw Ben, who claims to be suffering HIV and other diseases that render him unable to walk properly, trying to crawl out of the house. When he approached, Ben allegedly told him about Chalit's corpse in the kitchen.

Chiang Mai Police Station officers received a report and arrived at the scene at 8pm on October 3, where they say they found Chalit lying face-down in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor next to two knives.

He had a large gash on his neck believed to be the cause of his death. There were also no indications of a struggle, police said.

The body has now been taken to the Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Police Colonel Phuwanat Duangdee, superintendent of the Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station, said forensics officers have collected fingerprints and other evidence from the scene.

The couple's neighbours said they often heard the pair arguing, but added that the fights never appeared to escalate to physical abuse.

They said Chalit had complained to them about the household expenses and the cost of Ben's hospital treatments.

Police said the suspect has given differing accounts of the incident, first claiming someone had murdered his boyfriend and escaped the house, but later saying that Chalit committed suicide.

Police Colonel Phuwanat said: 'The investigators are still waiting for the autopsy and forensic results.'

Ben was detained at the Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station for further interrogation.

A Norwegian man has been arrested over the alleged murder of his gay Thai lover following a row about bills at their home in northern Thailand.

Ben Eike, 58, had been living with his boyfriend Chalit Wongkham, 39, in Chiang Mai province, but reportedly slashed the Thai man's throat in a fit of rage over household expenses.

A neighbour said that he saw Ben - who claims to be suffering HIV and other diseases that rendered him unable to walk properly - trying to crawl out of the house. When he approached, Ben allegedly told him about Chalit's corpse in the kitchen.

Chiang Mai Police Station officers received a report and arrived at the scene at 8 pm on October 3. They allegedly found Chalit lying face-down in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor next to two knives.

He had a large gash on his neck believed to be the cause of his death. There were also no indications of a struggle, police said.

The body has now been taken to the Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Police Colonel Phuwanat Duangdee, superintendent of the Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station, said forensics officers have collected fingerprints and other evidence from the scene.

The couple's neighbours said they often heard the pair arguing, but added the fights never escalated to physical abuse. They said Chalit had complained to them about the household expenses and the cost of Ben's hospital treatments.

Meanwhile, the suspect was said to have been giving confusing testimonies during interrogation. Police said he first claimed someone had murdered his boyfriend and escaped the house, but later said Chalit had committed suicide.

Police Colonel Phuwanat said: 'The investigators are still waiting for the autopsy and forensic results.'

Ben was detained at the Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station for further interrogation.