PHETCHABURI: A village headman in tambon Wang Khrai of Tha Yang district was shot dead by a sniper while attending a funeral ceremony at a temple in the tambon on Tuesday night.
Tha Yang police said the shooting outside a sermon hall at Wat Nong Wa in tambon Wang Khrai was reported about 9.10pm. The victim was rushed to Tha Yang Hospital, and later pronounced dead.
The dead man was identified as Prakob Kiewmanee, 55-year-old village headman of Moo 7 in tambon Wang Khrai. He was a landfill contractor.
His wife, Bunlon Kiewmanee, told police she and her husband were leaving a funeral ceremony when he was killed.
She saw her husband suddenly collapse to the ground, bleeding from his chest, and she called out for help.
Prakob was shot twice in the left chest, police said. No gunshots were heard. The killer was believed to have used a rifle and fired from long range, officers said.
It was possible the murder was motivated by conflict within the committee organising a luk nimit embedding ceremony to mark the boundary of an ubosot, or ordination hall, at Wat Nong Wa, police said. Prakob was the committee chairman.
Other possible motives included his landfill business and personal issues.
Police said the assassination was well planned. The investigation was continuing.