Police were still trying to get an armed and disturbed man in Bangkok Noi district to surrender on Thursday evening after he repeatedly shot his gun skywards and hiding in a house of relatives from Thursday morning.
From the morning to about 6pm police officers tried in vain to convince Nathawat alias Tay Watyang, 31, to surrender. According to his relatives and friends, the man had a pistol, a knife and an improvised explosive device as he hid in a two-storey house on Soi Wat Lakhon Tham in Bangkok Noi.
Local peple informed police that the man who was a drug addict and trafficker tried to enter their houses at 7am.
He finally entered his relatives’ house and repeated gunshots skywards at 8.10am. Four relatives were inside and were freed later. He also shot at approaching police at the scene but no one was hit.
His wife Sommut told police that the man lost control for continuously abusing drug. They had quarrels for four days before he used the gun Thursday morning.
His father Sirichai Pataratada, 68, said Mr Nathawat had two children and usually quarreled with his wife after abusing drug.
Commandoes were deployed at the scene while senior police officers tried to calm him down. At 6pm he still refused to surrender. Police planned to have his mother help negotiate with her son.