Crime Thailand’s Most Wanted Gunman Captured in Dramatic Police Standoff at Southern Resort

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khoasod.

 

Thailand’s top-ranked contract killer in the southern region, known for a string of violent crimes and a reputation for being heavily armed, was arrested after a tense standoff with police at a resort in Chaiya District, Surat Thani.

 

The suspect, 38-year-old Mr Thanawat, also known as “Ae”, was apprehended by a special task force from the Royal Thai Police’s anti-gang and contract killer suppression unit. Officers had tracked him from Trang province to a resort in Pa We subdistrict, where he had checked in with his wife, reportedly to collect drug-related debts.

 

 

Thanawat, with nine outstanding arrest warrants, is accused of multiple serious crimes including contract killings, evading court summons, shooting at homes, drug trafficking, and illegal debt collection. His criminal record includes the high-profile killing of a durian trader in Surat Thani in July 2023 and the execution-style murder of a woman in Nakhon Si Thammarat in March 2024.

 

In a previous incident, Thanawat narrowly escaped death when rival gunmen shot him in the mouth in Krabi province, breaking nine of his teeth. He survived and continued his criminal activities.

 

The arrest operation, which involved heavily armed police, was carefully planned after intelligence confirmed his location. Officers surrounded the resort and called for his surrender. For nearly an hour, Thanawat refused to emerge, locking himself in the room. Eventually, with the encouragement of his wife, he surrendered peacefully.

 

Police later revealed that Thanawat admitted he would have “fought to the death” if not for his wife, who persuaded him to give up. He also stated he had watched a recent video of police arresting another gunman, ranked 93rd, on a mountain in Trang just days earlier, and it influenced his decision.

 

A search of the room uncovered a cache of weapons, including a live M26 hand grenade, a loaded .357 revolver, a .22 rifle, and a shotgun, all ready for use.

 

Thanawat is now in custody, and police are expanding the investigation to pursue his associates and further criminal links. Charges are expected to include illegal possession of firearms, explosives, and multiple counts of murder.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-04-24.

 

 

 

[flyingtlger]

[Tropicalevo]

Hmm. Kh Thanawat seems like a nice chap