TWO men attending a wedding at a Surat Thani hotel came out to the parking lot and after a fierce argument pulled out their pistols and shot each other dead with two women in the vicinity also getting injured, Thai Rath newspaper said today (Apr. 29).
At 8.25 p.m. Mueang Surat Thani police station was informed of people getting killed and injured at Banjongburi Hotel on Bypass road and a team quickly rushed there together with Police Forensic Science Office 8 officers and Kusonsattha Foundation rescuers.
At the parking lot in front of the banquet hall of this hotel they found the body of Mr. Panupong Suwanasin, or Plan, 35, a well-known seller of religious items online under the name “Khun Phaen Surat”, shot dead with a handgun nearby. Two metres away was the body of Mr. Wirat Sudpakdee, or Jane Thonglor, 39, owner of Thonglor pub in this southern province who likewise had been shot dead.
Altogether 15 bullets and casings, 9mm and 11mm in size, were found at the scene which were collected as evidence.
Injured were two women, Panupong’s wife Ms. Kansiri Suwanasin, or Pat, 30, shot in the left leg, and Ms.Thanathorn Lueteng, 20, shot in the right leg.
Investigation revealed that the two deceased men were previously friends and part of the same social circle. However two years ago they developed a conflict and upon meeting at this wedding came out to the parking lot to resolve the problem. Wirat came out first with Panupong following him.
This led to a heated argument with gunshots then being fired and ending with both of them dead and the two women injured.
Police are investigating the shootout in detail and questioning eyewitnesses.
They mentioned that Panupong and Kansiri had been arrested on drug charges in Bangkok on May 15, 2021. Panupong had also previously been convicted on drug and weapon trafficking charges.
Upon being released from prison he turned to selling religious items online and had over 100,000 followers on Facebook.
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The hotel car park where the shootout led to the two men being killed. Photo: Thai Rath
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