Attack took place at the businessman’s home just before midnight on December 18th last. His daughter told police that she heard dogs barking 30 minutes before men with assault rifles opened fire on her father’s pickup.
Thai police have announced the arrest of 7 men involved in the murder of a businessman on December 18th last in southern Thailand’s Trang province. On Sunday, the Commissioner for Provincial Police Region 9 Police Lieutenant General Ronasin Phusara explained that the attack on 53-year-old garage owner Thawatchai Klabkhan was driven by the jealousy of a close friend who suspected him of having an affair with his wife.
Police in Trang province over the weekend arrested seven people in connection with the murder of a garage owner on Wednesday 18th December. The late-night attack occurred in the Ratsada area of the province and saw 53-year-old Thawatchai Klabkhan gunned down by two men using AK assault rifles. The man’s wife and an employee also suffered injuries.
Police on Sunday revealed that the organised attack was masterminded by a close friend of the dead man who believed that he had an affair with his wife.
Jirawut Sriwirat, also a businessman who sold auto parts, had approached contacts in Nakhon Si Thammarat province and ordered the contract killing of his friend.
All 7 men charged with murder
On Sunday, Police Lieutenant General Ronasin Phusara, the Commissioner of Police for the Provincial Police Region 9 briefed the media on the arrests made and the background to the investigation. All those arrested have been charged with murder.
Senior local official took the hit contract
Among them is a senior official in Nakhon Si Thammarat, a subdistrict chief, whom Mr Jirawut approached to have his one-time friend killed and who entered into a contract with the cuckolded husband to carry out the deed.
This man was identified by police on Sunday as Suchart Jittisak who was also taken into custody.
Neighbour pointed out the victim to the murder team
Another local man from Ratsada arrested was Chatachai Wongyai who assisted the hitmen in identifying their victim last month.
The main gunman, who led the attack, was Piyawat Jittisak. He has been arrested while the second gunman is still being tracked down by police at this time.
The driver of the getaway car for the attacking party was identified by police as Thanadet Ladprab. A seventh suspect was shown in police visuals but has not yet been formally identified to the press.
Attack with assault rifles as the victim’s car waited for the gate to open to his home near midnight
Video footage of the ruthless killing was collected by police as part of their investigation.
It shows the two attackers with assault rifles running and shooting at Mr Thawatchai’s parked white pickup truck as he waited for the gates of his garage and home to be opened by his employee Somchai Sanomnoi.
Mr Thawathai’s wife was also in the vehicle when the attack occurred. The victim had been returning from a funeral that night. The gun attack took place shortly before midnight.
The attack took place in tambon Khlong Pang in the Ratsada district of Trang.
Victim killed on the spot, wife and employee wounded
Mr Thatwachai was killed by the attackers who hit the vehicle 19 times with automatic gunfire. Police later recovered 23 spent casings from the crime scene.
The murdered man was hit in the back, abdomen, chest and head. His wife Ampa Klabkhan was injured as was his employee, Mr Somchai, by the shooters.
Daughter told police she heard dogs barking 30 minutes before the attack took place
The daughter of Mr Thatwachai, Ampawan Klabkhan, told investigating police about 30 minutes before the attack on her father’s vehicle and his murder, she had heard dogs barking. She learned of the shooting when she heard the gunfire and her wounded mother, Ms Ampa, broke into the house screaming that her father had been killed.
Both Ms Ampa and Mr Somchai survive the attack after being treated later in hospital.
Further reading:
Death sentence for murderous trio who executed a loving Thai wife and her UK husband in Phrae
Thai man guns down Italian for stealing away his younger mistress on Sunday in Khon Kaen
Love triangle murders in Thailand linked with popular TV soaps, foreigners and money
https://www.facebook.com/thaiexaminer/videos/1067835593609172/
