AYUTTHAYA: The lucky interception by police in Ayutthaya of a married man on his way to avenge his honour may have saved lives. It came hours after police in Chonburi were called to the most senseless of killings which led to a man being charged with murder over a cigarette on Monday evening.
An armed Thai man on his way to deal with a love triangle involving his wife and another man at a local shopping centre in Ayutthaya was thwarted by eagle eyed police who took him into custody at a checkpoint on his way to the confrontation on Tuesday.
A 45-year-old Thai man set off by motorbike in the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district of Ayutthaya province in central Thailand on Tuesday to deal with his wife’s reported affair with another man at a local shopping centre where she worked.
Police at the Naresuan bridge in Tambon Wailing stopped Somkhid Ruennangyaem at a checkpoint and found that he was carrying an unregistered handgun with one bullet in the compartment on the seat of his motorbike. He also had seven more rounds of ammunition.
On his way to confront his wife and prepared to murder her with her new lover on the spot
Questioned by alert police, he reported that he was going to the shopping centre to confront his wife about reports he had received of his wife’s affair with another man and if not satisfied, he intended to kill her and her lover who also worked at the same location, with his firearm.
Charged with illegal possession of a firearm
The incident occurred at 11 am. Police arrested the man and took him into custody. He has been charged with the illegal possession of the handgun and carrying it illegally in a public place.
The incident follows a shooting in Nonthaburi last Thursday when another Thai husband fired six shots at a shopping centre in a dispute with his wife and several fatal shopping centre shootings since January, including the attack on February 9th in Nakhon Ratchasima when a rogue soldier massacred 29 people in one day and wounded 58.
Police in Chonburi called by the public to a murder where a man was bludgeoned by a neighbour
The day before, Thai police in the Phan Thong district of Chonburi arrested 32-year-old Somchai Lertchawa who, in a state of intoxication, murdered his 51-year-old neighbour, Panya Thamwongsa.
The incident happened on Monday evening and police were called to the scene by horrified onlookers at 9.30 pm. The attacker had hit the victim with an iron bar over the head leading to his death on the spot.
Man died because of a cigarette and his rude manner
When they arrived, police found onlookers in a state of shock and the perpetrator of the fatal assault waiting for them.
He had lost his temper when he had asked the 51 year old for a cigarette only to be refused in a derogatory manner by the deceased man.
Police arrested that man and took him into custody. It is understood that he will face murder charges.
Further reading:
Massacre in Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday has added to Thailand’s woes and public insecurity
