Drinking session takes tragic turn

SUKHOTHAI: The more dipsomaniacal among us will most likely have had the unsettling experience of coming round, after a heavy session, not quite sure where we are or how we got there.

Usually, this can be rectified by stumbling out, flagging down a taxi and demanding to be taken home, hopefully before the full force of the hangover sets in.

One unlucky drinker in the early hours of September 5 had a rather more tragic experience.

Regaining consciousness in the back seat of his own moving car after a night on the town, he mistook his friend, who was driving him home, for a robber stealing his vehicle – and emptied all six shots of his revolver into him, killing him at the wheel.

The sorry tale started on the afternoon of September 4, when 54-year-old Surakiat Kaewphet, the chauffeur of the director of Sri Samrong Hospital, drove into Sukhothai town to meet some of his friends in the local law enforcement community.

One drink led to another, and the group soon found themselves having a grand time in the Tor Phu Tao restaurant.

When it was finally time to go home, Surakiat’s friend Sub Lt Songsak Jaidee offered to drive his pal, who was so intoxicated he could barely walk, back to his home in Sri Samrong District.

Lt Songsak laid Surakiat down in the back seat of the chauffeur’s Honda City and asked one of his underlings, Sgt Maj Songsak Yahjai, to follow in his car so he could take Lt Songsak home when Surakiat was safely tucked in bed.

Halfway home, however, Surakiat woke from his inebriated slumber. Realizing that someone else was driving his Honda, he jumped to the conclusion that the driver must be stealing the car.

Driven perhaps by instinct as much as alcohol, he pulled out his .38 revolver and emptied it into the “thief”.

After the car came to a halt in the middle of the road, Sgt Maj Songsak, who had been following behind, pulled up alongside to see what was wrong.

On seeing the body of his boss, he shouted at Surakiat, demanding to know why he had shot Lt Songsak.

Realizing his mistake, he joined Sgt Maj Songsak in a desperate bid to resuscitate the lieutenant, but to no avail.

All who knew the tragic pair said that Surakiat and Lt Songsak were good friends and regular drinking partners. Surakiat used to say that he loved Lt Songsak like a younger brother.

Surakiat, a big fan of the police in general, was friends with all the officers in his local station and would often treat them to meals and drinks.

Whenever any policeman was ill, he would use his connections at the hospital to make sure the law enforcement officer got the best rooms.

These strong bonds with the boys in brown, however, were apparently not strong enough to get him out of trouble for his mistake, as he has been charged with murder and carrying a firearm in a public place without permission.

From the 'Phuket Gazette' email.

good story for a movie

It is, tragedy and it struck in a way no-one expected.

It is Alexander-esque in a subliminal kind of way.

I know the BIB like to carry firearms off-duty but this must surely ring home the hazards of carrying them while drunk.

What a terrible thing to happen.

What chauffeur doesn't get blind drunk before driving home?

Sure hope he had a license for the pistol.

I can't imagine anything being learnt from this. As the other poster said, its fate. It would have happened no matter what, even if he hadn't been drunk, had a gun, and had he not been something of a lunatic. TiT.

I don't believe in fate. "There is no fate but what we make for ourselves." It was simply a coming together of a lot of circumstances that ended with a stupid, drunk man killing his friend. As well as being very sad, it says a lot for the calibre of people "chosen" to be policemen.

Guns and alcohol don't make good bed fellows.

Fights after drinking sessions are commonplace all over the world, but normally only fists and feet are used as they are the only "weapons" people have in their possession...if somethng upsets you and you have a gun..........

I remember the story of the policeman that shot his partner during a heavy drinking session because he would not shut up his apparnatly awful kareoke efforts...it was in Cambodia if I recall.

Then of course there was the famous Kanchanaui shooting.

Police should NOT be allowed to carry guns when they are off duty

Read the story, he wasnt a policeman, he was a chauffeur.

Booze+guns=hilarity.

saorsa you beat me to it. So many people on here jump on the bandwagon without reading properly or understanding the story