Local Politicians Killed over Suspected Political Conflicts

Local politicians face death threats as political rivalry begins to heat up ahead of the next general election.

The mayor of Bang Bua Thong was shot and killed yesterday while a subdistrict chief in Prachin Buri lost both his legs in a car bomb attack.

Police have reviewed security camera footage and have identified a suspicious bronze sedan passing a motorcycle showroom on the Bang Kruay Sai Noi Road in Nonthaburi's Bang Bua Thong district.

The shooter in the car then opened fire on Bang Bua Thong Mayor Kowit Charoennonsit, who was standing by the suspected vehicle.

The vehicle then fled the scene after the shooting. Kowit sustained severe bullet wounds to the head and body.

He died on the way to hospital.

An initial investigation showed that the suspected shooter was probably monitoring Kowit's movement and activities from the Bang Bua Thong municipal office and tailed him to his house which is located near the motorcycle showroom.

When Kowit got out of his car, the shooter drove up to him and shot him.

Authorities believe the shooting was due to heated local political rivalry.

Meanwhile, a car bomb attack yesterday against Tha Toom subdistrict chief Anont Charoensuk in Prachin Buri's Srimahapote district left him critically injured along with two others.

Prachin Buri's Social Action Party MP Chayut Phummakanchana stated that he has visited Anont, who is recovering at the intensive care unit of Chaopraya Apaiphubet Hospital.

He said that although Anont's condition was stable, he lost both his legs from the impact.

His relatives have requested he be transferred to Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok.

-- Tan Network 2011-03-03

Sure this has to be in the Thailand news and isn't about Iraq.

Election time in LOS...time for a break abroad me tinks!

Does anybody know what political parties these people were associated with?

starting to sound like s. african politics

Election time in LOS...time for a break abroad me tinks!

velly, velly smart theenking senor. The fuses are set to go off.

Does anybody know what political parties these people were associated with?

and what exactly difference would it make??? they are ALL Mobsters. They WANT in those offices where the dirty money flows.

Without knowing if it is red, yellow, brown robe, patriot, maroon, black, blue WOTever, the news IS a coup attempt will be be the last gasp. 'attempt' It won't work this time.

what is with the Iraq and Africa Comments??? Thailand has had 80 years of killings, exiles, coups, corruption, bribery, and so on.

I could never, never understand that 'get back to normal' thingy. WHEN was normal.

and reconcilaition|? look at my signature ... who KNEW the reds and yellows would be back on the same side of the fence? >>>>

Does anybody know what political parties these people were associated with?

The mayor, is a younger brother of a Puea Thai MP candidate.

The Prachin Buri case which seems to involve a member of the Social Action Party which is an offshoot of the Pue Pandin party which is going through a painfull break up.

TH

I am sad to hear of this. I hope the Thai courts will have the perpetrators put in jail forever. The political parties are apparently unable to police themselves against these criminals so the Thai Government needs to find a way to help prevent this violence without biasing the elections.

Election time in LOS...time for a break abroad me tinks!

Not only election time. These assassinations happen any time of year. A lot of them related to business as well as political conflicts.

Election time in LOS...time for a break abroad me tinks!

Thai's might call themselves civilised but they are just cowboys all the way up the tree. Shoot it out and only the strong and (corrupt) survive. Senseless killings and all about greed for both power and money. Unbelievable! Who the hell would want to be a Thai Politician? Only if your motives were the latter mention of 'greed.'

Does anybody know what political parties these people were associated with?

The mayor, is a younger brother of a Puea Thai MP candidate.

The Prachin Buri case which seems to involve a member of the Social Action Party which is an offshoot of the Pue Pandin party which is going through a painfull break up.

TH

So the next question becomes, who is the political opposition to these 2? Is it internal? Are they running against BJT? etc etc

Others have indicated that the only reason people would want to be in politics is about $$/corruption ... that may be true in many or even most cases, but surely not all cases!

I overheard a fellow say just the other day. that Thai Politicians are drawn from the ranks of those those dropout from teacher colleges.

Shoot it out and only the strong and (corrupt) survive. Senseless killings and all about greed for both power and money.

Welcome to Asia, where it's only been this way for ~5000 years or so.

;>

The next election will brutal and canvassers and rural powerful ones upcountry will likely have a big say in how it comes out. It is going to get hot

A bomb set off in a car in Tatoom? oh dear, i got to be carefull next time i am going out for shopping at Tesco, i thought the southern part of the country was a very dangerous place to move in, but PrachinBuri now looks like it want to becomes the new "hub" of the loudest bangs, be carefull next time you park your vehicle around here, anyone got a spare GT200 i can borrow? i know it's not going to detect anything, just going to use it as an amulet untill local elections are over...