Iranian husband and Thai wife 'murdered by brow-beaten waiter at their restaurant'

An Iranian chef and his Thai wife were found dead in a bedroom above their restaurant - allegedly murdered by their brow-beaten waiter.

Mojtaba Ghanbariazad, 64, and Thanaporn Poonprakhon, 49, are said to have worked their Burmese employee, Min, 21, into the ground before he snapped and argued with them at the Banoo Iranian Restaurant in Pattaya, Thailand, on July 11.

The restaurant had been closed and the premises locked since the row, and the owners had not been seen for several days.

Police forced their way into the building on July 16, on the insistence of Thanaporn's relative, who claimed the Thai woman had appeared to her in a dream seeking help.

Upon entering the building, authorities detected a foul smell. They walked up to the second storey and discovered the couple's bloated corpses in their bedroom.

Mojtaba was sprawled on the floor wearing no pants or underwear. A pair of red sweatpants were wrapped around his neck.

While Thanaporn was completely naked on the bed, with her hands and feet tied up.

The pair were estimated to have been dead for at least three days based on the state of decomposition. Nearby was a hammer, which police collected as evidence.

The couple's belongings also appeared to have been ransacked, police said.

Kritporn Ajinakit, 27, a friend of the slain couple, said the deceased had a loud argument with Min, from Myanmar, on July 11, shortly before the worker reportedly stole the couple's motorcycle and drove away.

A neighbour, Pan, claimed Min was often beaten by the Iranian victim, Mojtaba, over his poor work performance.

The couple allegedly yelled at him and paid him a pittance for working seven days a week on less than the minimum wage.

Wan Sommut, 59, a close friend of Thanaporn, said: 'I have known Thanaporn since she came to live in Pattaya. Before her death, she often complained to me that money at the shop often went missing. She suspected the employee who was Burmese.

'In addition to this, this Burmese employee also brought a Burmese woman to sleep at the shop. The woman did not help at the restaurant and was unemployed.'

Meanwhile, police said they have obtained CCTV footage allegedly showing Min arriving at the restaurant on a motorcycle on July 11 evening.

He was said to have left early morning on July 12, with a short-haired woman believed to be his girlfriend riding on the backseat. They were carrying luggage as they drove away.

The deceased will undergo post-mortem exams. However, authorities said they were having difficulties determining the cause of death due to the advanced state of decay.

The investigation was ongoing.