Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

A 22-year-old man wanted on drug-related charges has turned himself in to police after his family and legal representatives accused officers of using excessive force, including firing an M16 rifle at his vehicle, during an attempted arrest.

 

On 23 May, lawyer Pattanawanai Boonraksa escorted Mr. Thanawit, a resident of Thung Tako District, to surrender to police at Thung Tako Police Station in Chumphon province. He was wanted under an arrest warrant issued by Lang Suan Provincial Court on 21 May on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine for personal use.

 

Police allege that on 20 May, Mr. Thanawit was involved in drug use at a residence in Thung Takhrai sub-district belonging to a relative, Ms. Orawan, aged 33. Officers from the Region 8 investigation unit approached the house, where they reportedly found Thanawit near a silver Isuzu pickup truck. Upon being asked to submit to a search, he allegedly fled in the vehicle. Officers say they fired shots at the tyres using an M16 assault rifle in an attempt to stop him. Despite this, Thanawit managed to escape.

 

The vehicle was later discovered abandoned roughly two kilometres away. No illegal items were found inside.

 

A search of the house, conducted with the village headman present, uncovered a .38-calibre revolver, a BB gun, several rounds of ammunition, drug paraphernalia and one methamphetamine pill. Police say these items prompted the arrest warrant.

 

Mr. Thanawit, who denies all allegations, has since filed a counter-complaint against the officers involved, accusing them of attempted murder, property damage and filing false charges.

 

Lawyer Boonraksa claims the young man was unaware the men who approached him were police, as they were in plain clothes and arrived in an unmarked sedan. Fearing an attack, Thanawit panicked and fled, only realising his vehicle had been shot at after it veered off the road. He then contacted a friend to take him to a relative’s home in Tha Chana district and later sought legal assistance.

 

Mr. Thanawit insists he was at the house for only a short time to visit relatives and pick kaffir lime leaves for cooking, and denies any drug use.

 

Ms. Orawan and her husband Mr. Boonrit, the homeowners, later gave statements in support of Thanawit. Mr. Boonrit admitted that the seized firearm and methamphetamine belonged to him, not Thanawit. He claimed the house had been locked when he left and expressed concern about the police’s conduct during the raid.

 

Witnesses, including local residents and Ms. Orawan’s mother, Mrs. Khreuwan, aged 56, supported Thanawit’s claim that he arrived alone and was not involved in any drug gathering. They expressed fear and disbelief at the police’s use of force and questioned why, if multiple people were allegedly involved, only Thanawit was pursued.

 

“The police behaved like criminals,” said Mrs. Khreuwan. “They didn’t identify themselves and started shooting. Anyone would have run.”

 

The village headman confirmed he was called to witness the house search after it was already conducted. He noted that while weapons and what appeared to be drug-related items were present, he was not shown methamphetamine pills as part of the official seizure record. He added that while he was unfamiliar with Thanawit personally, the police likely had some basis for the search.

 

The case is expected to proceed to court, where Mr. Thanawit’s counterclaims against the police will also be dealt with.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-05-25.

 

 

 

“The police behaved like criminals”     🤣