No stranger to controversy, Grand Theft Auto has been highlighted as being the main reason why a Bangkok taxi driver was murdered in cold blood this weekend.

The Bangkok post reports that 19 year old, Polwat Chinno, stabbed to death taxi driver, Kuan Pohkang, on Sunday morning to steal money to fund his online gaming habit.

Chinno's getaway was foiled by police who eventually persuaded him to leave the taxi having locked himself in. When they did arrest him they found that Pohkang had been stabbed to death 10 times with 2 sharp knives.

Police claim that Chinno told them he was addicted to Grand Theft Auto and 'said killing seemed easy in the game. He imitated a scene where a criminal kills a driver for his car to escape police. '

''I needed money to play the game every day. My parents give me only 100 baht a day, which is not enough. I am also fed up with them fighting. They are civil servants and do not make good money,'' he said.

''Today [Saturday] my mother gave me 500 baht, so in the evening I went to the Lotus superstore and bought knives.''

The rest is history and now Chinno faces robbery and murder charges.

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Source :: Bangkok Post