The Criminal Court on Thursday sentenced former sub-district chief Praween Chankhlai to life imprisonment for ordering the murder of a highway police officer during a party at his house in Nakhon Pathom two years ago.
The slaying — stemming from an argument over a police promotion — took place in full view of several other officers, many of whom were subsequently jailed for making no effort to stop or arrest the gunman.
The court found that Praween, 37, alias Kamnan Nok, ordered his aide Thananchai Manmark to kill Pol Maj Sivakorn Saibua, an inspector with Highway Police Sub-division 2, who was among the officers at the dinner party in Praween’s house on Sept 6, 2023.
Praween at the time was the chief of tambon Takong in Muang district of Nakhon Pathom, where his construction companies had earned him a fortune from local public works contracts.
A 25-million-baht Bentley car was seen parked near the pool villa where the shooting took place.
At the party, prosecutors told the court, Praween asked Pol Maj Sivakorn, 31, to transfer his nephew to be a patrol policeman.
Pol Maj Sivakorn told Praween to wait for the annual police retirements at the end of the month. Praween got upset and proposed a drinking challenge to the officer.
After Praween lost the challenge, Pol Maj Sivakorn reportedly said he always won. Praween got up, slammed his fist down on their VIP table and moved to another table.
Pol Maj Sivakorn and Pol Sgt Maj Pisit Chewpreecha, the kamnan’s nephew, followed and apologised but Praween told his nephew to leave right away or, he said, his face would be stained with blood.
Pol Sgt Maj Pisit left and Pol Maj Sivakorn returned to his table.
According to court testimony, Thananchai heard Praween asking for a gun and saying he would not tolerate it. The aide then approached the VIP table and asked Praween what he should do.
Praween nodded and Thananchai fired several 9mm bullets at Pol Maj Sivakorn, who later succumbed to his wounds at Nakhon Pathom Hospital.
Bullets also struck and seriously injured Pol Lt Col Wasin Panpee of the highway police.
Thananchai fled and was killed two days later in an exchange of fire with police in Kanchanaburi. Praween subsequently surrendered to police.
The court said that during the trial, Praween paid compensation to the families of Pol Maj Sivakorn and Pol Lt Col Wasin and they withdrew their suits demanding damages from him.
A police investigation of the case revealed that Praween frequently boasted in public about his close connections with former national-level politicians, police and many local politicians and frequently held parties at his house.
The publicity surrounding his case led Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to order the compilation of a detailed list of local mafia figures across the country to improve enforcement.
