Crime Man Shot Dead by Ex-Friend in Suspected Love Triangle

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of SiamNews.

 

A 38-year-old minivan driver was shot dead in a Bangkok car park by a man once believed to be his close friend, in what police suspect was a crime of passion involving a long-running affair with the gunman’s wife.

 

The shooting occurred around midday on 1 August, at a residential car park near Building 4 on Soi Tha Kham 6, Tha Kham Road, Samae Dam, Bang Khun Thian district. Officers from Tha Kham Police Station, along with forensic doctors from Siriraj Hospital and rescue volunteers, attended the scene after receiving reports of gunfire.

 

The victim, Mr Anucha, was found lying in a pool of blood with seven gunshot wounds to his body. Seven bullet casings were recovered nearby. His motorcycle was parked a short distance away and a beer bottle was found near the scene.

 

According to initial witness statements, the victim had reportedly been in a romantic relationship with a woman known only as Ms Noi 37, who was still married to the suspect, Mr Sira 35, a fellow minivan driver and long-time friend of the deceased.

 

Ms May 34, a friend of the victim, said that prior to the shooting, the group had been drinking together at a bar near Rama II Road, where tensions began to rise. The victim later escorted Ms Noi back to her residence, where the fatal shooting took place.

 

Ms May added that Mr Anucha and Ms Noi had been seeing each other for some time and were frequently seen together in public. Mr Sira was reportedly aware of the affair and tensions between the couple had not subsided despite their continued cohabitation. Heated exchanges between the two men had become commonplace.

 

Ms Kaew, the former wife of the deceased, revealed that the love triangle had deeper roots. She explained that two years earlier, she had hired Mr Sira’s wife, a university graduate with strong English skills, to tutor her three children. However, the relationship between the tutor and her then-husband became intimate, leading to an affair that Ms Kaew discovered five months ago. The discovery resulted in a divorce.

 

She believes the killing was driven by unresolved resentment over the affair. “My ex-husband and the suspect used to be close friends. But after what happened between him and the suspect’s wife, things were never the same,” she said.

 

Following the incident, the suspect fled the scene before police arrived. Authorities are now working to track down Mr Sira, who remains at large. The victim’s body has been taken to Siriraj Hospital’s forensic unit for further examination.

 

Police have stated that they are treating the case as a murder motivated by jealousy and personal betrayal. A manhunt is currently underway.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from SiamNews 2025-08-03