The senior police officer believed to have committed suicide on Monday was distressed because he had invited his subordinate to the dinner party where he was subsequently murdered by a gunman last Wednesday, according to his commanding officer.
The man had blamed himself for his subordinate's death.
Pol Col Vachira Yaothaisong, 44, commander of the Highway Police sub-division 2, was found dead from a single gunshot wound at his home in a housing estate in tambon Khu Khot of Lam Luk Ka district, Pathum Thani, on Monday. He is believed to have shot himself.
He was the immediate superior of Pol Maj Siwakorn Saibua, of Highway Police sub-division 2, who was slain by a gunman at a dinner party at the house of Praween Chankhlai, alias Kamnan Nok, in tambon Takong in Muang district of Nakhon Pathom last Wednesday night. He had invited Pol Maj Siwakorn to the party.
Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat Pankaew, acting commander of the Highway Police Division, said on Tuesday that Pol Col Vachira had complained how much he was saddened by the circumstances of Pol Maj Siwakorn's death.
He had tried to console Pol Col Vachira, but he kept blaming himself for taking Pol Maj Siwakorn to the function where he was killed, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said.
Pol Col Vachira appeared stressed out and said he could not sleep, Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said. He had advised Pol Col Vachira to get plenty of rest, and try to sleep. A police friend later took Pol Col Vachira for a meal and then to sleep at a hotel in Muang Thong Thani.
Surveillance camera footage showed Pol Col Vachira left the hotel around 4am on Monday and returned to his house in Pathum Thani, arriving shortly before 5am.
Pol Maj Gen Jaroonkiat said he had instructed Pol Col Vachira not to answer any phone calls. "A junior police officer was asked to keep his mobile phone, so he could rest undisturbed,’’ he said.
Police had found a spent bullet lodged in a robot vacuum cleaner at Pol Vachira's house. Forensic officers collected powder residue from Pol Col Vahica’s hand and fingerprints off the cabinet where the gun was kept and off the house door entry keypad.
A source said a worried police friend had found Pol Col Vachira's body. The friend had entered the house by phoning the officer’s wife and obtaining the door entry code.
Police were expected to conclude their investigation into his death on Tuesday
Pol Col Vachira was one of 28 police officers who attended the party. All are being investigated. Six face charges of obstructing the investigation in some way.
The dinner party gunman, Thananchai Mamnak, 45, fled the scene and was shot dead in Kanchanaburi while resisting police arrest on Friday morning. Mr Praween surrendered to police on Thursday evening. Police suspect he ordered Pol Maj Siwakorn's death because he refused to transfer his wife's nephew, a highway policeman, to an elite motorcycle squad.
A spent bullet lodged in a robot vacuum cleaner at Pol Vachira's house. (Photo supplied/ Wassayos Ngamkham)
The spent bullet taken from the robot vacuum. (Photo supplied/ Wassayos Ngamkham)