Police have thrown the book at 23-year-old Kawin Saengnilkul who will be brought to court on Saturday. He is charged with first-degree murder, premeditated murder and a range of firearms offences after first gunning down a 32-year-old shop assistant at a convenience store in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok and then changing into a military outfit before raiding a temporary Covid-19 hospital in the early hours of Thursday morning and killing a male patient in cold blood as he emerged from a bathroom at the former drug treatment centre.
On Saturday, a former soldier is to appear in court in Bangkok charged with two murders in the early hours of Thursday morning including one at a Covid 19 treatment centre for which he dressed in camouflage fatigues and a military-style red beret.
A dropped bottle of beer may have triggered a former soldier to go on a murder spree in the early hours of Thursday morning after he had visited a Seven-Eleven convenience store in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok.
23-year-old Kawin Saengnilkul was brought by a large force of police, including up to 40 plainclothes officers, back to the scene of two murders on Thursday morning as police in Pathum Thani and Bangkok carry out their investigations into the deadly and senseless crimes.
Facing six criminal charges including first-degree murder for the callous killing spree on Thursday
The young man has been charged with six criminal offences including premeditated murder, first-degree murder, illegal possession of firearms and illegally carrying firearms in public.
At 3.30 am on Thursday morning, an incensed and angry killer wearing camouflage and beret shot his way into the Princess Mother National Institute for Drug Abuse Treatment in the Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani.
The facility is currently in use as a treatment centre for Covid-19 patients.
Covid-19 patient died as he emerged from a bathroom on the first floor of the former drug treatment institute being used as a hospital during the crisis
There he encountered and shot dead 54-year-old Suksant Sewaphan as he was emerging from a bathroom on the first floor of the facility reserved for male patients.
He had, minutes earlier, used his firearm to shatter the lock on the entrance door of the building housing patients suffering from the virus.
In the course of Friday’s visit to the institute, police brought the suspect to six different locations at the building complex including where he parked his pick up and several locations where he later opened fire on security guards before making his escape from the facility.
Gunned down a 7/11 store worker in Chatuchak
Mr Kawin had earlier gunned down a 32-year-old shop assistant at a 7/11 convenience store at the opening of Soi Lat Phrao 25 in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok at 2.50 am.
He was also taken there by the police on Friday who explained to the press that the suspect had earlier visited the store and was upbraided by a shop assistant, Mr Rathawit Santikuptapong, after he dropped a bottle of beer which he was forced to pay for.
The incident made the younger man angry.
He returned to the shop armed and shot Mr Rathawit dead before again leaving.
Changed into combat fatigues and a military-style red beret before setting off to Pathum Thani to commit a second senseless and cruel murder of a sick man
This time, he changed into combat fatigues and wearing a red beret headed to the treatment centre for drug addicts in Pathum Thani where he carried out the second murder.
The bizarre and terrifying outbreak of murderous violence has raised the question among the public as to what the motive for the killings could have been.
One suggestion is that the killer had a grudge against drug users and traffickers as he had singled out the drug treatment centre to vent his rage.
Father of the suspect links rage to the army
However, the 23-year-old suspect’s father has suggested that his son suffered from pent up rage because of his treatment at the hands of the army.
It is understood he had served with the military in Lopburi province.
In any event, it is clear from the man’s actions that he was, at the very least, mentally unstable.
Surrendered to police by arrangement, elite hanuman paramilitary unit deployed to bring him in safely
On Thursday afternoon, the killer surrendered to police by arrangement in Ranong province but not before the elite Hanuman paramilitary force who work with the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) was sent to execute his arrest.
The suspect had been staying with relatives in the province as negotiations were made for his surrender.
Gambling Godfather arrested in Rayong linked with the murder of a moto-taxi driver in Pattaya
Earlier on Thursday, Police Major General Yingyot Thepchamnong, a Royal Thai Police spokesman, had felt compelled to remind the media about codes of conduct in reporting on the case.
Top brass at Royal Thai Police warn media about linking the killings to the events of February 2020 in Korat when a rogue soldier killed 30, wounded 57
He particularly warned about linking the man’s actions to the mass murder in Korat in February 2020 when a rogue soldier killed 30 people and wounded 57 in an unhinged fit of rage
32-year-old rogue soldier who attacked Shopping Centre in Korat is killed in ferocious 9 am shootout
Police Major General Yingyot warned against any live interviews with the suspect which may have compromised the police investigations and efforts, at that point, to bring him to justice.
Held at Phahon Yothin Police Station in Bangkok
On Friday, the killer was interviewed by police investigators at Pratunam Chulalongkorn Police Station after completing the crime reenactments which were supervised by Police Major General Chayut Marayard.
He was then transferred to Phahon Yothin Police Station in Bangkok where he was held before his appearance in court.
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Further reading:
2 killed in 15-minute firefight between security forces and insurgents as Pattani siege is ended
3 ‘innocent’ relatives dead in a horrifying terrorist attack on a main road in southern Thailand
Massacre in Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday has added to Thailand’s woes and public insecurity
32 year old rogue soldier who attacked Shopping Centre in Korat is killed in ferocious 9 am shootout
Crazed Thai soldier kills 20 and takes hostages in Nakhon Ratchasima – broadcast on Facebook
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Bizarre coincidence as schoolboys cause Friday’s Bangkok bomb that put workers in hospital
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