Nephew Shoots Uncle Over Land Title Dispute in Chiang Rai

Picture courtesy of Kaoded.

A long-standing land title dispute between relatives in Chiang Rai province erupted in violence, when a 46-year-old man shot his uncle-in-law in the head after repeated failed attempts to reclaim a land deed he said had been withheld for decades.

Police in Wiang Chiang Rung District were alerted at 19:25. on 16 July to a shooting at house number 126, Moo 11, in Dong Maha Wan subdistrict. Upon arrival, emergency services found that the victim, Mr. Amnuay Srisang, 59, had already been rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound to the right side of his head. The bullet lodged near his ear.

The alleged shooter, Mr. Chai Ratchanilla 46, did not flee the scene. Instead, he sat calmly drinking beer inside the house and surrendered to police without resistance.

According to police investigations, Mr. Chai and the victim lived in adjacent homes and frequently interacted. The conflict stemmed from a land title deed that Mr. Amnuay had allegedly mortgaged with the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) some 20 to 30 years ago. Mr. Chai had reportedly made numerous attempts to retrieve the deed but was continually rebuffed, despite his own mounting financial difficulties.

Mr. Amnuay had returned home from working in the rice fields. While he was changing clothes near the kitchen at the back of his house, Mr. Chai, who had arrived home in his soil delivery truck, picked up a firearm and approached his uncle’s home. A heated argument ensued at the back door, ending when Mr. Chai fired a single round into Mr. Amnuay’s head, causing him to collapse on the floor.

Relatives rushed to the scene and transported the injured man to hospital. He remains in critical condition after doctors performed surgery to remove the bullet.

Police brought Mr. Chai back to the scene the following morning to re-enact the crime as part of standard legal procedures. During the re-enactment, his wife, 36-year-old Ms. Janjira, wept as she embraced her husband. She told reporters that her husband had grown increasingly frustrated over the years, not only due to the land deed issue but also because Mr. Amnuay had shown negligence in tending to two cows Mr. Chai had asked him to care for.

Police have since charged Mr. Chai with attempted murder and illegal possession and use of a firearm. Legal proceedings are underway.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Kaoded 2025-07-19