Crime Brutal Execution of Ex-Convict in Bangkok: Police Suspect Hired Gunmen

[Georgealbert]

 

Pictured courtesy of Khaosod.

 

A 34-year-old man was gunned down in cold blood in the early hours of 3 May, in Bangkok’s Bueng Kum district, in what police believe may have been a contract killing.

 

The victim, identified only as Mr Thossaphon, was found dead on the ground floor of a five-storey commercial building in Soi Nuanchan 22. He had sustained nine gunshot wounds to the head and torso. Officers from Khok Kram Police Station, forensic experts from the Police General Hospital, and volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation responded to the scene shortly after 1am.

 

Twelve spent 9mm bullet casings were initially recovered at the scene, though forensic officers later reported a total of 15 casings, suggesting the gunmen fired extensively.

 

According to eyewitnesses, two men arrived on a red Honda PCX motorcycle and appeared to be searching for someone at a nearby snooker club. Failing to locate their target, they proceeded down the alley, where they encountered the victim riding in on his motorcycle. The suspects doubled back, followed him, and as the victim dismounted and walked towards the building, one of the attackers approached and opened fire at close range before escaping on the motorbike.

 

CCTV footage has captured the moment of the attack, showing two men, one in a grey hooded sweatshirt riding the motorbike and the other, the gunman, in a black jacket and wearing a half-face helmet. The footage, however, does not show the vehicle’s licence plate, prompting police to collect further video evidence from nearby streets to trace their escape route.

 

Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Pol Maj Gen Napasin Phunsawat visited the scene alongside senior investigators and convened a brief meeting to coordinate efforts. He later revealed that the victim had only recently been released from prison three months prior, after serving time for multiple theft convictions in Din Daeng and Samut Prakan. He was unemployed and living with relatives in the Sukhaphiban 5 area.

 

Thossaphon previously worked as a supervisor at the snooker club and had connections in the neighbourhood, including a girlfriend who is reportedly still employed nearby.

 

Police are working on four possible motives: unresolved conflicts from his criminal past, disputes before or after his release from prison, issues involving romantic relationships, and gambling-related tensions.

 

Pol Maj Gen Napasin described the attack as a premeditated act, suggesting a “targeted hit” consistent with the methods of professional gunmen. The assailants were seen circling the area once before entering the snooker club. Upon failing to locate their intended target, they spotted the victim, called his name, and executed the shooting with calculated precision.

 

Pol Maj Gen Somkuan Phuengsap, another deputy commissioner overseeing investigations, also inspected the crime scene, though he did not provide further details to the media.

 

The case remains under active investigation as police intensify efforts to identify and apprehend the suspects.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-04.