Off-Duty Police Officer Found Dead Ahead of Wedding

Pictures courtesy of Daily News

A police officer assigned to the 191 unit was found dead from a gunshot wound at his family home in Amnat Charoen province on 27 December 2025, one day before his planned wedding. The immediate impact has left family members, colleagues and local residents in shock, with police treating the death as an apparent suicide pending further investigation.

The deceased was identified as Police Lance Corporal Duang, aged 37, a patrol and special operations squad leader under the Metropolitan Police Bureau in Bangkok. He had taken official leave to return to his home district in Amnat Charoen to prepare for his wedding scheduled for 28 December in Maha Sarakham province. Officers from Mueang Amnat Charoen Police Station were alerted to the incident and attended the scene alongside forensic officers, hospital staff and local rescue workers.

According to investigators, the incident occurred inside a two-storey, mixed wood-and-concrete house in Bung subdistrict, Mueang district. The body was found lying on a wooden daybed on the ground floor near a bathroom, wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans. A 9mm handgun was found between the legs of the deceased and the wound was described as a single gunshot to the right temple, exiting the left side.

A preliminary account from the victim’s elder brother stated that there had been no visible signs of distress when the officer returned home. On the evening of 26 December, the deceased reportedly asked to drink beer and told his brother he needed to “clear up some matters,” adding that he wanted him to look after their mother. The brother said he did not suspect anything unusual and left, only to return the next morning to find his sibling dead.

Police initially suspect personal stress as a possible factor, but have stressed that the cause has not yet been confirmed. Investigators are collecting physical evidence, including firearm residue tests from the victim’s hands and documenting the scene in detail. Statements will also be taken from relatives, close friends and the fiancée, to establish a clearer picture of the circumstances.

Daily News reported that the investigation will continue under standard legal procedures to determine the precise events leading to the death. Authorities have said further findings will be released once forensic results and witness interviews are complete.

Key Takeaways

• A 37-year-old off-duty police officer was found dead at his home on 27 December 2025, one day before his wedding.

• Police discovered a 9mm handgun at the scene and are initially treating the case as an apparent suicide.

• Investigators are gathering forensic evidence and interviewing relatives and the bride-to-be to determine the exact cause.

 Adapted by Asean Now from Dailynews 2025-12-28