SONGKHLA: Police are looking for a 29-year-old oil rig supply boat crewman who witnesses said appeared drunk when he allegedly fired several shots that killed a man who warned him to drive more carefully late on Monday night.
The victim was later pronounced dead in hospital. A bystander was also wounded and taken to hospital.
The suspected killer was later identified as Yingyong Hemhongsa, aka Jo, a crew member of the TMS 12, a boat that normally takes workers and oil drilling equipment to an offshore rig in the Gulf of Thailand.
Songkhla Provincial Court on Tuesday issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of murder and illegally carrying a firearm in a public place. He was reported to have fled to Nakhon Pathom's Sam Phran district.
The dead man was Thanwa Chamnan, 35. The wounded bystander was later identified as Natthawut Sintor, 37, also a crewman on the TMS 12. He was being treated at Songkhla Hospital.
Pol Capt Monchai Thanakochan, an investigator at Muang district police station, said police were informed about 10.30pm on Monday there had been a shooting at Sirichol wharf on Nakhon Nok Road in Muang district of Songkhla.
Two eyewitnesses said the gunman drove a pickup truck that was taking oil rig workers to the pier. He appeared intoxicated and was driving erratically.
The victim had the nerve to warn him to be careful and avoid running the pickup into someone. This seemed to anger the driver, according to the witnesses, and he produced a gun and shot the man repeatedly before speeding away, Pol Capt Monchai said.
Police found five spent 9mm bullet casings at the scene, he said.
Investigators identified the gunman from security camera footage at the pier and from talking to witnesses.