SURAT THANI: A man was shot dead by a durian grower while allegedly stealing the pricey fruit from his orchard on Wednesday night.
The shooting occurred around 10.40pm at a two-rai durian orchard that belongs to Sukhon Sutthirak, 56, in tambon Kradae in Kanchanadit district.
Police were called to the scene by the orchard owner. They found an unidentified man lying dead under a durian tree. He had a gunshot wound in the forehead, police said.
Mr Sukhon told police that many of his durians had been stolen over the past several days.
On Wednesday night he heard the thud of durians falling down to the ground and rushed out of his house to the orchard. He saw three men there.
Two of them ran away upon seeing him. The other was perched up in a durian tree and threatened him, saying he had a gun, Mr Sukhon said.
He told police that the man seemed to reach for his weapon, so he decided to shoot first.
Police charged Mr Sukhon with murder. Police were identifying the dead man and looking for the runaway suspected durian thieves.