Land broker surrenders after debtor shot dead

Land broker surrenders after debtor shot dead

Thawatchai Ruengrit, 41, white T-shirt, turns himself to Pol Col Akkhawut Thaneerat, chief of Hat Yai police, in Songkhla on Thursday, following a shooting in which one man was killed and two others wounded on Wednesday night. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)
Thawatchai Ruengrit, 41, white T-shirt, turns himself to Pol Col Akkhawut Thaneerat, chief of Hat Yai police, in Songkhla on Thursday, following a shooting in which one man was killed and two others wounded on Wednesday night. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)

SONGKHLA: a 41-year-old land broker surrendered to police after one man was shot dead and two other people wounded at a house in Hat Yai district on Wednesday night.

Thawatchai Ruengrit, 41, of  tambon Khuanlang in Hat Yai, allegedly admitted to the shooting and said the dead man owed him a million baht and had refused to pay it. 

He surrendered to Pol Col Akkhawut Thaneerat, chief of Hat Yai police, and handed over an 11mm pistol said to have been used in the shooting. There were four rounds still in the  magazine.

The shooting occurred on Wednesday night. A man riding on a motorcycle opened fire at a group of people drinking together behind a house in Khong Hae municipal area of Hat Yai.

Thanongsak Bunya-udomsart was killed and another man, Preecha Karnphan, and a woman, Sudjai Inthamanoo, wounded by bullets. 

Thanongsak was shot in the head and Mr Preecha, chairman of Khong Hae municipality, and Ms Sudjai, sustained leg wounds. The attacker fled and was later identified as Mr Thawatchai.

During interrogation, Mr Thawatchai, a land broker, allegedly told police his real target was Thanongsak, who was killed. The man had owed him about one million baht and they had often quarrelled over it.

On Wednesday night, he was riding his motorcycle past the house and saw a group of 4-5 people drinking together.

He stopped and parked his bike and greeted people he knew. He noticed Thanongsak was sitting there. The suspect claimed Thanongsak had reacted strongly upon seeing him. 

Mr Thawatchai said he then pulled out his pistol and fired three shots at the man, and then another shot in his head. He said he had not intended to shoot the others, according to police.

Police pressed an initial charge of murder against the suspect, and said they would question him further about the motive for the shooting.

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