Rayong: A coworker has been arrested for shooting a factory worker to death while he was drinking in front of a rice soup shop in Map Ta Phut Municipality, Rayong Province. He claims the gun went off.
According to Thai News Agency, at 3:00 a.m. last night, police from Huai Pong Police Station in Rayong Province received a report of a person being shot and killed in front of a rice soup shop on Sukhumvit Road in the Map Ta Phut Municipality of Rayong Province. At the scene, they found the body of a man wearing a blue uniform, similar to a factory uniform, sitting face down at a table. On the table was a bottle of alcoholic beverage. Below the chair was a single bullet casing.
The shop owner reported that the perpetrator and the deceased had been at the shop from 11:00 PM until around 1:00 AM, just as the shop was about to close. The deceased scanned to pay him, prompting the owner to close the shop and head to the back to pack up. Shortly after, he heard a loud noise and the sound of a pickup truck driving away. Upon checking, he found the deceased lying face down on the table and noticed drops of blood on the floor, leading him to quickly call the police. The shop owner confirmed that the two individuals had not argued before the incident, and described their interaction as normal. Prior to the shooting, they had witnessed a car accident involving a sedan and a motorcycle, which resulted in a fatality. The two men had discussed the need to move the perpetrator's bronze Isuzu pickup truck to a safer location to avoid potential accidents.
Forensic officers identified the deceased as Mr. Chaikamon, 42, from Khon Kaen, who had been shot once in the forehead with a .38 bullet. Evidence collected included a bullet casing and four cigarette butts found under a chair, which will be used to bring the perpetrator to justice.
Huai Pong Police Station arrested the suspect, Thanit, 41, a coworker of the deceased, at 2:00 p.m. today. During questioning, Thanit claimed that he did not intend to commit the crime, stating that the gun accidentally discharged. He mentioned that he had purchased the gun several years ago for self-defense. Despite a negative urine test for drugs and a criminal record indicating only a prior charge of drunk driving, police have charged him with intentional murder, carrying a firearm in public without permission, and possessing a weapon and ammunition without permission.