A village chief in Nakhon Pathom surrendered to police yesterday after a gunman killed a highway police officer and injured another following an argument at the kamnan's home late on Wednesday night.

Praween Chankhlai, alias Kamnan Nok, turned himself in to Nakhon Pathom police late yesterday afternoon, not long after they obtained a warrant for his arrest for ordering the shootings. The gunman, Thananchai Manmak, 45, who works for Mr Praween, remains at large.

Eyewitnesses said that the shootings took place after a request by Mr Praween for the transfer of his nephew, who is a policeman, was rebuffed.

According to a witness, Kamnan Nok had invited a group of highway policemen to his house. Two of the officers in the group were Pol Maj Sivakorn Saibua, chief of highway police station 1 under the Highway Police Sub-division 2, and Pol Lt Col Wasin Panpee, deputy commander of the Highway Police Sub-division 2.

Police said that at around 10pm, Mr Praween argued with Pol Maj Sivakorn after Mr Praween tried to talk him into switching his policeman nephew from a patrol car assignment to one with a motorcycle patrol squad. Pol Maj Sivakorn rejected the request.

According to reports, Mr Praween then became angry, pounded his fist on the table and walked away. Five minutes later, Mr Thananchai appeared and started shooting. Pol Maj Sivakorn sustained seven gunshot wounds and later died. Pol Lt Col Wasin was shot in the left arm and was admitted to a hospital.