NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: A notorious hit man high on the police 'most wanted' list died from an unspecified illness in a house at Ban Ton Ko in Ron Phibun district of this southern province on Sunday morning.
Pol Col Sa-ngob Jansing, chief of Ron Phibun police, led a team of police officers and a doctor from the district hospital to the village on being informed of the death of the wanted criminal, identified as Yuthana Chukaew, 49.
Yuthana was known to the public as "Sua Liam Thungpho".
He was found lying dead on the open platform of a house, wearing a camouflage T-shirt and a piece of loin cloth.
The police learned from villagers that Yuthana came down from a mountainous hideout to stay at his mother's house several days ago. He lost consciousness and died on Sunday morning, they said. It was initially believed he died of heart failure.
Yuthana was wanted under a number of warrants in several murder and drug cases that took place in Ron Phibun, Sichon and Thung Song districts.
On Sept 14, 2015 he engaged in a firefight with a police unit that left a policeman injured. He was able to break through a police siege and escape.
Yuthana had a younger brother named Thirayuth, 40, who was also wanted on murder and drug charges. Many years ago, while police laid siege to his house, he surrendered for fear of being killed in an extra-judicial killing. Later in 2017, he broke out of a prison in Nakhon Si Thammarat along with a fellow inmate.
On July 19, 2019, he allegedly committed a murder in Ron Phibun district.
Thirayuth is still at large.