Two people were injured when a male passenger fired two shots on a minibus on the Phuket-Phatthalung route on Friday morning before taking his own life.

The shooting happened about one kilometre from the Phuket bus terminal where the bus just left.

Police received a report of the shooting by a Thai man, aged about 30, while he was still on the bus.

According to witnesses, two gunshots were heard on the bus. Passengers rushed off the bus soon after the driver stopped the vehicle.

The shooting happened about one kilometre from the Phuket bus terminal where the bus just left.

Police received a report of the shooting by a Thai man, aged about 30, while he was still on the bus.

According to witnesses, two gunshots were heard on the bus. Passengers rushed off the bus soon after the driver stopped the vehicle.

The injured - a man and a woman - were among nine passengers on board.

The bus driver told police that the gunman was sitting in the middle of the bus before he walked to the back and opened fire. The gunman then returned to his seat and appeared unfazed by the situation, the driver said.

The gunman remained on the bus, as some 30 policemen were deployed at the scene.

Roads within a kilometre radius of the scene were closed off, and police negotiated with the shooter for about 4 hours.

After negotiations failed, officers fired tear gas into the vehicle to force the gunman out. However, he refused to surrender and shot himself dead around 11.10am, police said.

According to local media, the gunman was a former conscript identified as Nawin Chuaykiang, from Krabi province.

Police were investigating the cause of the attack.