NAKHON SI THAMMARAT - A former deputy president of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Administration Organisation was gunned down in front of his house in Cha-uat district on Saturday morning.
The attack occurred at a roadside cattle pen in tambon Cha-uat, said Pol Lt Col Chakkrit Khongruang, investigation chief at Cha-uat police station.
Police and rescue workers rushing to the scene after being alerted at 7.15am found Anan Khlangchan lying dead in a pool of blood near the cattle pen in front of his house.
Anan, 54, sustained multiple gunshot wounds on his body, said police.
A police investigation found that while Mr Anan was cleaning his fighting bulls at the cattle pen, at least three armed men on a pickup truck arrived at the scene and opened fire on him in full view of his aide, identified only as Somporn, who was near the scene of the attack. Mr Somporn escaped unhurt.
As Anan fell, the attackers continued spraying many rounds of bullets on him, killing him before they fled. More than 15 spent cartridge shells from M16 assault rifles were found scattered over the area.
The victim had wielded much influence in this southern province. He had served as a deputy president of the Nakhon Si Thammarat PAO in 2008 and used to be a Chartthaipattana Party candidate contesting in the 2011 general election. He also used to serve as an adviser to then agriculture and cooperatives minister Theera Wongsamut in 2012.
After leaving politics, Mr Anan had kept a low profile. He had raised fighting bulls before being shot dead.
Pol Col Thammanoon Faijoo, chief of Cha-uat police, said police had yet to establish the motive for the killing. They initially believed the attack might have stemmed either from personal conflicts with his former political rivals or love affairs.
The investigation was continuing.