Crime Land Dispute Turns Deadly as Nephew Fatally Shoots Uncle in Songkhla

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Daily News.

 

A long-standing land dispute spanning over a decade ended in tragedy when a 44-year-old man from Singhanakhon District shot and killed his uncle in a moment of rage. The suspect later surrendered to police, admitting he had “lost control” after years of provocation.

 

Pol Sub Lt Marut Nilkosee, an investigator with Singhanakhon Police Station, received a report of a fatal shooting on a rural road behind Khao Khiew School in Moo 1, Sathing Mo subdistrict, Singhanakhon District, Songkhla province. Officers from multiple investigation units responded to the scene.

 

The victim, Mr Phinyoh, aged 60, was found lying face down on a disputed plot of land. Nearby, police recovered four 9mm shell casings. Roughly 200 metres away, officers located additional evidence.

 

Shortly after, the suspect, Mr Wirat 44, the victim’s nephew, turned himself in at Singhanakhon Police Station. He led officers to the site where he had discarded the murder weapon, revealing that he had thrown the pistol into a well structure beside a small shack, while separating the magazine and hiding it under the same shelter.

 

According to Mr Wirat, the land had been under his father’s care for many years. After working in Bangkok, he returned home and was shown the boundaries of the land by his father. Following his father’s death in 2014, Mr Wirat claimed he took over stewardship of the land. However, his uncle allegedly began excavating and selling soil from the property and later sold off sections to local villagers.

 

Mr Wirat also stated that he filed legal complaints over the issue but was continually harassed and provoked by his uncle, including threats from villagers allegedly brought in by the deceased. The land in question, he said, now totals around 10 rai.

 

In his confession, Mr Wirat admitted to becoming enraged during a confrontation on the day of the shooting. He said the victim continued to provoke him, pushing him into a state of uncontrollable anger. From a shack about 200 metres away, he fired four to five shots at his uncle, killing him instantly.

 

“I just couldn’t take it anymore,” Mr Wirat told police. “I’ve endured this for over 10 years. It even cost me my job. I want to apologise to my uncle’s family.”

 

Police have charged Mr Wirat with murder and seized the firearm as evidence. He is now in custody and awaiting further legal proceedings.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Daily News 2025-07-20