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Police in Thailand have charged a man with beating to death his two-year-old daughter and his two infant sons.

They suspect Songsak Songsaeng also killed two other infant sons from a previous marriage.

The charges follow the discovery last week of the body of a two-year-old girl buried beneath a kitchen floor.

Police say Mr Songsak claims to have a history of mental illness - and that he killed his children because he couldn't tolerate the sound of their crying.

His wife has also been charged over the death of their two-year-old daughter. And his ex-wife has been charged over the deaths of the two boys. All three have been arrested. Mr Songsak has been married four times.

Police were first alerted to a possible case of domestic violence at the Bang Khen district in Bangkok earlier this month.

Mr Songsak's neighbours reported that his two daughters, aged 12 and four, were being physically abused. Police rescued the two daughters while they were home without their parents.

The 12-year-old told police that their parents had beaten her two-year-old sister, which led to her death. She also helped police trace the body to where it was buried under a kitchen floor in north-west Thailand last week.

Thai police have also charged Mr Songsak with the killing of two other sons he had with his third wife after his DNA matched with that of two infants, whose bodies were unearthed 10 years ago.

His third wife had said he killed their four infant sons and gave police locations where two were buried.

Police believe the two others may have been buried under an area where a petrol station now stands.