Father Shoots Son Dead in Loei, Claims Years of Abuse Sparked Act

Picture courtesy of Amarin

A 61-year-old man has turned himself in to police after fatally shooting his 40-year-old son in the back of the head with a shotgun, citing years of alcohol and drug-fuelled violence against him and his wife as the cause of his breaking point.

The incident occurred around 19.00 on 3 May at a residence in Village 5, Tambon Puan Phu, Nong Hin District, Loei Province. Police investigators, forensic officers, rescue workers, and a medical team responded to reports of a fatal shooting at the rear of the property.

The victim, Mr Boonthan Singhadetcha, was found dead in the outdoor kitchen area. He had suffered a single gunshot wound to the right side of the back of his head, inflicted with a sawn-off 20-gauge shotgun. His body was discovered slumped forward into a plastic rubbish bin.

The suspect, identified as Mr Saen Singhadetcha, the victim’s father, fled the scene on a motorcycle. Police launched an immediate search and found a witness, Mr Apichat Sopharak, 37, a friend of the victim who had been drinking with him at the time.

Later, Mr Saen’s relatives contacted police to report that he wished to surrender. He confessed to the killing and led officers to the location where he had hidden the weapon, on top of a water tank around 50 metres from the scene.

According to his statement, Mr Saen said his son had long struggled with alcohol and methamphetamine abuse, often becoming aggressive and physically violent toward his parents. On the day before the incident, Mr Saen claimed that after an argument, he left home to sleep at a nearby farm hut. The next morning, he returned to retrieve the shotgun, reportedly owned by his son and hidden beneath a mattress.

He said he test-fired the weapon once in the field before returning home that evening. There, Mr Apichat offered him two or three shots of rice whisky. Without speaking to his son, Mr Saen then approached from behind and shot him at point-blank range.

Following the shooting, he fled to a relative’s house in Na Duang District but later received a phone call from his wife urging him to surrender. He told officers he regretted the act but had reached his limit after years of suffering.

Mr Saen is now in police custody as legal proceedings commence. The case has reignited public discussion on domestic violence and mental strain within families affected by addiction.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-05-05.