Ex-Navy Sergeant Shot Dead on Budo Mountain in Narathiwat

Picture courtesy of SiamNews 

Police and security forces in Narathiwat have launched an investigation after a former navy sergeant was shot dead on Budo mountain, Bajoh district, on the night of 24 September 2025. The victim was identified as 43-year-old Naphat Thonphichayaphon, formerly known as Sub Lt Madahari Kamala, a former Royal Thai Marine based at Chulabhorn Camp. Officers suspect insurgent involvement after finding multiple spent cartridges from an M16 rifle at the scene.

The discovery was made after local residents heard gunfire at around 20:30 on 24 September and later found the victim’s body near a large rock. He had multiple gunshot wounds and was lying face down beside his overturned Honda Scoopy motorcycle, which was registered in Narathiwat. Bloodstains were found nearby and his body was transferred to Bajoh Hospital before burial later that evening at the Marhae cemetery.

Police led by Pol Col Direk Chomyong, deputy commander of Narathiwat Provincial Police, along with explosive ordnance disposal officers, special operations units and forensic investigators, reached the site on the morning of 25 September. The location was deep in the forest, around five kilometres from the main road, requiring officers to travel on foot through steep rubber plantations. They recovered more than 20 spent M16 cartridges and collected evidence from the scene.

Relatives told police that the victim regularly travelled to his family’s durian orchard on Budo mountain, where he tended crops and often stayed overnight at a temporary shelter. His younger brother, Petty Officer First Class Ayub, said that on the day of the incident, he carried both an 11mm handgun and a shotgun. Both firearms were missing from the scene after the attack.

Initial investigations suggest the attackers may have been insurgents, active in the Budo mountain area. Authorities believe the victim may have been targeted due to suspected past involvement as an informant for security forces. Pol Maj Gen Kittisak Kaewmee, superintendent of Palukasamoh Police Station, confirmed that the case is being treated as a potential security-related killing.

Officers are now conducting further enquiries to establish the motive and identify those responsible. Investigations will focus on insurgent activity in the area and the disappearance of the victim’s two firearms. Security forces have increased patrols around the Budo mountain zone to prevent further incidents.

Key Takeaways

• A former navy sergeant was shot dead on Budo mountain in Narathiwat on 24 September 2025.

• Police found over 20 M16 cartridges at the scene, and the victim’s firearms were missing.

• Authorities suspect insurgent involvement and have stepped up security in the area.

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  Adapted by Asean Now from Siamnews 2025-09-26