A YOUNG man who was arrested at a hotel in Samut Songkhram province on the charges of killing the director of King Mongkut Memorial Hospital at his clinic in Phetchaburi city yesterday has confessed that he did so because he was high on drugs and was displeased that the hospital had charged him 130 and not 30 baht for treatment that morning, Sanook.com reported today (Dec. 20,2020).
After being treated at the hospital at 9 a.m. yesterday, the suspect, Mr. Denphum, 22, had by around 11 a.m. driven to the clinic of Dr. Chumpol Dechaampai, 57. After being treated by he went to his car on the pretext of getting money to pay the bill but instead came back with a pistol and barged into the examination, firing seven shots and killing the doctor on the spot.
Samut Songkhram provincial police head Pol. Maj. Gen. Sumeth Punnasi said the suspect, who when arrested had a pistol and over a hundred bullets on him, stated that he was very displeased with the service at King Mongkut Memorial Hospital. He had written several complaints and suggestions but no change was made.
That morning he had gone for treatment at this hospital and was charged 130 baht instead of 30 baht due under the Universal Coverage scheme, also known as the gold card or 30-baht scheme.
In addition, the accused confessed that he has been using drugs for a long time which led to mental distortion. That morning he had bought 1,000 baht worth of methamphetamine which he said led to him being unable to control his senses.
However police said this case is unlikely to have stemmed from an affair with Dr. Chumpol not being flirtatious and the suspect having mentioned that he did not know that the young woman he secretly liked worked at this clinic.
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Top: The suspect after he was arrested. Thai headline says, “Sick early in the morning, kills doctor late morning.” Photo: Sanook.com
