A man arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, is being held in connection with the killing of JonBenet Ramsey.

The suspect had knowledge of certain aspects of the Ramsey case not known to the general public, U.S. law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

This undated photo shows the six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, who was found dead in her Boulder, Colo., home on Dec. 26, 1996.
(Denver Post/Associated Press)

The six-year-old Ramsey was found strangled in the basement of her Boulder, Colo., home on Dec. 26, 1996.

Investigators from Boulder were reportedly in Bangkok, preparing to bring the suspect back to the U.S.

An official in Bangkok said early Thursday that he was unaware of any charges the man faced for alleged crimes in Thailand, which would contradict earlier reports from the U.S.

Lt. Gen. Suwat Tumrongsiskul said the man was arrested at his apartment Wednesday afternoon in downtown Bangkok and that it was expected the American authorities would bring him back to the U.S. in a few days.

The man had been to Thailand four times over the past two years, the official said.

The murder of Ramsey, who had won several child beauty pageants, sparked a media frenzy.

Her mother, Patsy Ramsey, found a ransom note early Boxing Day morning demanding $118,000 US for the safe return of the child. But later that day, JonBenet's father, John Ramsey, found the child's body in another part of their mansion.

The investigation into her death was plagued by forensic errors and disputes between police and prosecutors. A year-long grand jury investigation ended in 1999 with no indictments.

The Ramseys came under intense suspicion in connection with the crime, and later moved out of state.

Patsy Ramsey died in June at the age of 49 after a long battle with ovarian cancer.

John Ramsey, a millionaire businessman, unsuccessfully ran for a seat in Michigan's House of Representatives in 2004.

He released a statement Wednesday after learning of the developments in the case.

"I want to have only very limited comment on today's arrest because I feel it is extremely important to not only let the justice system operate to its conclusion in an orderly manner, but also to avoid feeding the type of media speculation that my wife and I were subjected to for so many years," Ramsey said.

"I do want to say, however, that the investigation of the individual arrested today in connection with JonBenet's death was discussed with Patsy and me by the Boulder district attorney's office prior to Patsy's death in June.

"So Patsy was aware that authorities were close to making an arrest in the case and had she lived to see this day, would no doubt have been as pleased as I am with today's development almost 10 years after our daughter's murder.

"Words cannot adequately express my gratitude for the efforts of Boulder district attorney Mary Lacy and the members of her investigative team."

Lacy confirmed to the Associated Press the arrest followed several months of work. She disclosed no details about the suspect.

CBS News reported that the suspect was a 41-year-old grade school teacher.

With files from Associated Press