A YOUNG engineer who ran a noodle shop as a secondary source of income was shot dead in front of his family by a motorcycle gunman in Tha Phra area at around 9 p.m. last night, Thai Rath newspaper reported.
Police from Tha Phra station rushed to Jabkang noodle shop upon being alerted of the murder and found Mr. Arthit Chomnet, 27, lying supine in a pool of blood with seven bullet wounds on his body all close to each other.
Mrs. Charan Unbantheng, 59, the deceased man’s mother-in-law, told police that her son-in-law worked as an engineer for a company that builds houses and extensions. About four months ago they opened this noodle shop as a secondary source of income.
Her son-in-law was sitting there and playing with his new-born, seven-day-old son when a short man who had ridden up on a motorcycle driven by his accomplice walked in then pulled out a pistol and fired several shots at him through the back.
After that the gunman quickly dashed out and hopped on the still running motorbike and zoomed away.
The deceased young man had graduated from Siam Technology College and then studied further at Rajamangala University of Technology only graduating about three years ago.
The family told police that the previous evening some vocational students had brawled near Tha Phra BTS station and a little later one group ran past the front of the noodle shop.
Pol. Col. Preecha Pengpao, head of Tha Phra police station, said two persons are wanted in this murder and while brand of the motorcycle they used and its licence plate number are not known, it is a woman’s model.
Police are still trying to determine the motive of this murder and the pistol used to kill the victim but it is clear to them it was well planned in advance and they are work hard on cracking this case.
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Top; Policemen investigating the murder at the Tha Phra noodle shop last night. Photo: Thai Rath