Boy 10, Dies After Being Shot in Rural Kalasin Hut

Picture courtesy of Amarin

A 10-year-old boy has died after being shot in the forehead at a hut in a paddy field in Kalasin province. Authorities are urgently investigating the circumstances of the incident, amid conflicting accounts from witnesses.

The victim, identified as Surasak “Bas”, was found seriously injured with a gunshot wound to the right side of his forehead on the evening of 2 June. The incident occurred at approximately 21:00 at a two-storey wooden hut, roofed with corrugated iron, situated around 600 metres from Kok Kwang village in Maha Chai subdistrict, Somdet district.

Rescue workers transported the boy to Somdet Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries en route. A locally made Thai-style flintlock gun, typically used for hunting rodents, was discovered near the scene along with visible bloodstains on a bamboo platform outside the hut.

According to investigators from Sahatsakhan Police Station, who are temporarily attached to Saeng Badan Police Station, the weapon was allegedly brought to the hut by a group of older boys aged between 14 and 18, who had taken Surasak with them to the rural location. The teenagers claim the gun accidentally discharged while Surasak was playing with it.

However, police remain unconvinced by the explanation and are treating the matter with caution. “We are not ruling anything out at this stage,” said one officer. “All individuals present at the scene will be called in for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.”

Forensic teams have collected the weapon and other evidence for examination and autopsy results are expected to provide further clarity.

The incident has shocked the local community and raised questions over access to homemade firearms in rural areas, as well as the supervision of children. Police have confirmed that investigations are continuing as they work to determine whether the shooting was indeed a tragic accident, or something more.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-06-04