The mayor of a tambon in Rueso district of Narathiwat was shot dead by a group of men armed with war weapons at his garment factory in the southern border province on Thursday.
The fatal attack occurred at 11.40am at the Hand-in-Hand factory in tambon Rueso, according to the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 forward command.
Wichet Thaithongnum, 55, was found dead with gunshot wounds inside a meeting room at the factory.
The initial investigation found that four assailants travelling on two motorcycles arrived at the factory at Yalaebor Village Moo 5 in Rueso district. They entered the meeting room and fired shots at Wichet, who was holding a meeting with Nuree Dewadalae, the chairwoman of the factory’s community enterprise. After the shooting, the men fled immediately.
Wichet, locally known as “Mayor Arm”, was a two-time mayor of tambon Rueso. He also served as chairman of the Narathiwat sports association and owned the Hand-in-Hand factory.
Authorities are investigating the motive for the attack.
Local media reported that people often visited the factory on study trips as its community enterprise created jobs and generated income for local residents. Shops selling local goods were also located in the compound of the factory.
A man in black carrying a weapon is seen in front of a room inside the Hand-in-Hand garment factory in Rueso district of Narathiwat on Thursday. (Security camera image on Hong Khao Dantai Facebook page)