Red-shirt core leader Kwanchai shot

[casualbiker]

This is a first report and first reports always get modified.

Still, it's no secret an assault rifle is far more powerful and devastating than a handgun, so this is a serious development. If the elite groupings are involved going after one of their own, broadly speaking, then none of them are safe.

And this is a bushwhacking, a targeted pickoff attempt, which begins to add an eeriness to the shadow boxing already going on.

Actually if it was an M16 which uses 5.56 NATO rounds then NO a 45 or 357 is more devastating. It's a larger slug.

Edit : it seems it was an AK47.. 7.62... much bigger slug

http://inagist.com/all/425842809556320257/

More info.. looks like he may have made enemies locally as his radio station was bombed in August.

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Sorry have to disagree. Assault rifles like the M-16 5.56mm 40 g rounds travel at over 3000 ft/sec compared to 900-1200 for .45 or .357 rounds. The force in Joules plus the fact that the rounds fragment and tumble upon entering flesh cause devastating tissue injury/damage way beyond what most civilian rounds can cause.

Nobody deserves to be shot for political reasons but when you mess with the bull you get the horns.

Politics in Thailand is dangerous and always gets personal.

Mate this thing about the gun has been done to death .. I was mistaken. I admitted it....

Moving on

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Cnxforever]

somebody is trying to provoke violence that's for sure - I don't think the PDRC would be so stupid to carry out an attack like this - but the people behind them are.

This looks like a provocation for the red shirts to come out and blame the PDRC.

I hope they do not fall for this setup!

[Artisi]

Re; 'they should have got a better shooter' etc.

I was reading that he was shot in the arm and leg, and is 'stable' condition. And also he is not a fit young guy either, so I feel that if the person was firing an assault rifle with intent to kill him they could have finished the job easily enough. This seems like it was intended to wound him, for that to cause knock-on effects among loyal followers, he returns from hospital as the noble tousled lion, a hero of the cause etc. It just seems convenient that they had that hand-cannon and he was standing there and they only tagged his arm and leg. He doesn't look like the athletic flying ninja kinda guy. Its very suspicious to me, but I could be wrong.

However I hope for his swift recovery, and my thoughts are with his family. Justice should involve courts of law, and lengthy prison sentences if a man such as this has committed crimes. We don't want a future where justice is administered by anonymous gunmen.

Oh dear! The AK-47 shoots 4-6" groups at 100m so the bullet through his arm could have just as easily got his heart. It is quite possible he may lose the limb, or at minimum lose much of its use. Trust me, nobody volunteers to get shot with this round for kudos.

OTOH hand you are right. Somebody with a little more intestinal fortitude could have driven up much closer and done the job properly. Quite possibly, shooting from 100m was somebody confusing their ambition with their ability.

Actually the shooter was aiming for the concrete post, which seems to have suffered non-fatal damage while the shooting of Kwanchai just happened to be collateral damage and completely unintentional.

[Artisi]

Udon Thani-based Red Shirt leader shot

By Digital Content

UDON THANI, Jan 22 - The top Red Shirt leader in this northeastern province was shot this morning, but the injuries are not life threatening.

Hardline Red Shirt activist Kwanchai Praipana was reading a newspaper at the radio station of Khon Rak Udon group in the provincial seat when an unknown number of gunmen fired a hail of bullets at him.

He was wounded in his right arm and leg and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

His wife, Arporn Sarnkam, said Mr Kwanchai is not in critical condition as the bullets did not hit important organs.

Initial investigation found that an AK-47 assault rifle was used from about 100 metres from the station's fence.

Mr Kwanchai has played an active role in mobilising the supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) in the Northeast.

The Khon Rak Udon group chairman has organised several movements and forums in the region to support the Feb 2 general election in opposition to the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC)'s demand for the resignation of the caretaker government and national reform before election. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-01-22

Hit by two 7.62 rounds and does not even need an IV drip or drains on the wounds. That sure is lucky.

Maybe the reason that the blanket was removed in the second photo was because he had to get up and go for a piss. No cardio monitor either.

Nice catch. Does seem a bit odd, as in a regular hospital they are pretty quick to put

in a IV drip in with even a fairly minor injury, in case they need to put a drug into you

quickly. Two bullet holes would sure seem to warrant a drip.....

probably just sh1t in his pants from the excitement, easily cured and no IV drip needed.

[Artisi]

Not being a total cynic but has anyone seen the actual wounds. When Jautporn announced it the BS meter went off the scale.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Artisi

[Centrum]

Re; 'they should have got a better shooter' etc.

I was reading that he was shot in the arm and leg, and is 'stable' condition. And also he is not a fit young guy either, so I feel that if the person was firing an assault rifle with intent to kill him they could have finished the job easily enough. This seems like it was intended to wound him, for that to cause knock-on effects among loyal followers, he returns from hospital as the noble tousled lion, a hero of the cause etc. It just seems convenient that they had that hand-cannon and he was standing there and they only tagged his arm and leg. He doesn't look like the athletic flying ninja kinda guy. Its very suspicious to me, but I could be wrong.

However I hope for his swift recovery, and my thoughts are with his family. Justice should involve courts of law, and lengthy prison sentences if a man such as this has committed crimes. We don't want a future where justice is administered by anonymous gunmen.

Oh dear! The AK-47 shoots 4-6" groups at 100m so the bullet through his arm could have just as easily got his heart. It is quite possible he may lose the limb, or at minimum lose much of its use. Trust me, nobody volunteers to get shot with this round for kudos.

OTOH hand you are right. Somebody with a little more intestinal fortitude could have driven up much closer and done the job properly. Quite possibly, shooting from 100m was somebody confusing their ambition with their ability.

Actually the shooter was aiming for the concrete post, which seems to have suffered non-fatal damage while the shooting of Kwanchai just happened to be collateral damage and completely unintentional.

Perhaps the shooter mistook the post for Kwanchai or more likely, he's been practicing for a week shooting at concrete posts to improve his marksmanship.

[soi41]

Shooters reporting back to base: "We got them both!!"

Kwanchai: AND

Thaksin: (Also known as Mr Square!!)

[scorecard]

Udon Thani-based Red Shirt leader shot

By Digital Content

UDON THANI, Jan 22 - The top Red Shirt leader in this northeastern province was shot this morning, but the injuries are not life threatening.

Hardline Red Shirt activist Kwanchai Praipana was reading a newspaper at the radio station of Khon Rak Udon group in the provincial seat when an unknown number of gunmen fired a hail of bullets at him.

He was wounded in his right arm and leg and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

His wife, Arporn Sarnkam, said Mr Kwanchai is not in critical condition as the bullets did not hit important organs.

Initial investigation found that an AK-47 assault rifle was used from about 100 metres from the station's fence.

Mr Kwanchai has played an active role in mobilising the supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) in the Northeast.

The Khon Rak Udon group chairman has organised several movements and forums in the region to support the Feb 2 general election in opposition to the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC)'s demand for the resignation of the caretaker government and national reform before election. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-01-22

Hit by two 7.62 rounds and does not even need an IV drip or drains on the wounds. That sure is lucky.

Maybe the reason that the blanket was removed in the second photo was because he had to get up and go for a piss. No cardio monitor either.

Nice catch. Does seem a bit odd, as in a regular hospital they are pretty quick to put

in a IV drip in with even a fairly minor injury, in case they need to put a drug into you

quickly. Two bullet holes would sure seem to warrant a drip.....

probably just sh1t in his pants from the excitement, easily cured and no IV drip needed.

You mentioned pants - is that meaning policeman uniform pants?

[chadintheusa]

I'm sure everyone has their favorite theories on this one. My guess is that no one will ever be arrested for this attack. It certainly sounds like Kwanchai was capable of provoking almost everyone.

1. Easiest to blame is the PRDC, must of been Suthep will be what red sympathizers will say

2. Kwanchai had a public split with the UDD and they could be sending a message, or fanning the flames

3. Kwanchai had threatened the military that he they would intervene in the event of a coup

4. Could have been a bad business associate or over the beer boycott

Take your pick, why wait for any real evidence

[m30000]

can any of you brave ppl tell me if its safe to go outside yet. i want to go to 7eleven and get some chocolate cake

chocolate cake from 7eleven?you must be a very brave person because coconut fat is not good for your health.

Actually coconut fat is some of the most healthiest fat you can eat-but cakes from 7/11 is certainly not

[kikoman]

The timing of this shooting is extremely suspicious, 11 days before the election the protester swore to stop, as they have been hitting dead ends since day one. Nothing they have done in the last 3 months has forced Yingluck to resign, the protesters are at the end of their bag of tricks.

Attacks on their own trying to blame the Red Shirts, did not work as the police were pointing fingers at the protesters them selfs, Now an attempted assassination of a Red Shirt leader, maybe in the hopes of getting a violent red shirt response to the attack on one of their own,. I hope cooler Red shirts heads will prevail until at least after the election,

As February the second approaches there will be more of these attacks, in the hopes of causing a violent response, which they hope their chief ally the military will stage a coup.

Stranger things have happened!

Cheers

Edited January 22, 2014 by kikoman

[JesseFrank]

The timing of this shooting is extremely suspicious, 11 days before the election the protester swore to stop, as they have been hitting dead ends since day one. Nothing they have done in the last 3 months has forced Yingluck to resign, the protesters are at the end of their bag of tricks.

Attacks on their own trying to blame the Red Shirts, did not work as the police were pointing fingers at the protesters them selfs, Now an attempted assassination of a Red Shirt leader, maybe in the hopes of getting a violent red shirt response to the attack on one of their own,. I hope cooler Red shirts heads will prevail until at least after the election,

As February the second approaches there will be more of these attacks, in the hopes of causing a violent response, which they hope their chief ally the military will stage a coup.

Stranger things have happened!

Cheers

When did the protesters swore to stop ? I must have missed the announcement.

If Suthep was behind the assassination then Kwanchai would be dead instead of having some scratches on arm and leg and a concrete post damaged. Why he should let someone live he hates ?

Yingluck will resign before February 2nd or there will be no elections, she only resists yet, because square head knows that if she resigns he will be in the desert for the rest of his life.

Edited January 22, 2014 by JesseFrank

[Cricketnut]

Doubt it. More like certain arms of the military have been instructed by their main sponsor (s) to commence the assassinations . of the the main opposition members now that Suthep has been discarded as a raving loony.

Hmm, Thai Army are issued with M16s not Ak47s conjecture yes, mercenaries more then likely... Where were you Suthep when this took place...on Skype no doubt!

[Bpuumike]

This is a first report and first reports always get modified.

Still, it's no secret an assault rifle is far more powerful and devastating than a handgun, so this is a serious development. If the elite groupings are involved going after one of their own, broadly speaking, then none of them are safe.

And this is a bushwhacking, a targeted pickoff attempt, which begins to add an eeriness to the shadow boxing already going on.

Actually if it was an M16 which uses 5.56 NATO rounds then NO a 45 or 357 is more devastating. It's a larger slug.

Edit : it seems it was an AK47.. 7.62... much bigger slug

http://inagist.com/all/425842809556320257/

More info.. looks like he may have made enemies locally as his radio station was bombed in August.

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The bullet holes I saw in the masonry and metalwork in the news reports could not have been caused by an AK47

[rogerdee123]

Doubt it. More like certain arms of the military have been instructed by their main sponsor (s) to commence the assassinations . of the the main opposition members now that Suthep has been discarded as a raving loony.

Hmm, Thai Army are issued with M16s not Ak47s conjecture yes, mercenaries more then likely... Where were you Suthep when this took place...on Skype no doubt!

It seems I remember that the police lost 29 weapons in one afternoon last week ... but then again Udorn is pretty close to Laos and I'm sure many AK47s around the neighborhoods up there.

Edited January 22, 2014 by rogerdee123

[rametindallas]

Doubt it. More like certain arms of the military have been instructed by their main sponsor (s) to commence the assassinations of the the main opposition members now that Suthep has been discarded as a raving loony.

I do recall a number of M16 rifles ''disappeared'' from an army base not so long ago...........

Thailand is awash in military grade weaponry and one stolen ten years ago is just as deadly as one stolen 'not so long ago'. Hundreds of armaments and a large amount of ammunition were stolen just before the 2-1- protests but that is totally irrelevant because Mr Kwanchai was shot by an AK-47 which is not military issue and has nothing to do with a theft of M16s 'not so long ago'.

[rametindallas]

RT @RichardBarrow: Two bullets hit Kwanchai, others hit this concrete pillar (Via @Chu_SpringNews) http://t.co/aK3XxC5VMg

Must been one of those 5000 Baht hitmen that are always talke about on this forum.

Looks like 3 hits to the post.

Put the rifle on 'rock n roll' automatic, and fire away till the target goes down.

Doesn't take a brain surgeon to do this.

Select 'single shot', aim it properly and one head shot is all it takes. (e.g. Seh Daeng) Full auto is for the movies or in a firefight with enemy you can't see; it's the most inaccurate way to fire but it does cause witnesses to look for cover.

[NovaBlue05]

somebody is trying to provoke violence that's for sure - I don't think the PDRC would be so stupid to carry out an attack like this - but the people behind them are.

This looks like a provocation for the red shirts to come out and blame the PDRC.

I hope they do not fall for this setup!

They may just want to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Like any group with a large following, a sizable percentage of the followers are reactionary and avoid critical thinking....or are otherwise just unstable. Not so much different than TV when the topic of Thai politics is concerned.

[whybother]

Hit by two 7.62 rounds and does not even need an IV drip or drains on the wounds. That sure is lucky.

Maybe the reason that the blanket was removed in the second photo was because he had to get up and go for a piss. No cardio monitor either.

He'll be up and about in a couple of days.

[rametindallas]

Thailand's red shirt leader shot; police pick up 42 bullet casings

<snip>

A police source told The Straits Times 42 bullet casings were found at the scene, and Mr Kwanchai had been hit in the right arm and leg while he was sitting outside his office drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

More here - straitstime

Hmmmmmmm, regular AK47 doesn't hold 42 rounds in it's clip........

National Magazine 50 Round Black Mag For AK-47/7.62X39MM ...

The holes in the post are not consistent with 7.62mm @ 100m !

I think the post was close to the road/shooter and Kwanchai was 100 meters behind the fence by his front door.

[rametindallas]

The holes in the post are not consistent with 7.62mm @ 100m !

Not having shot any concrete posts at 100m, or having viewed other photographs of same, I will bow to your expertise. So what are they consistent with?

Assuming the ammunition is in good condition as manufactured I would expect 3 rounds to have impacted heavily enough to blow away substantial pieces of concrete to at least expose some internal rebar. As I said earlier it looks like .22 to me. But to be sure you need to be there!

No reports of .22 casings at the scene but reports of 42 AK-47 casings at the scene. I'm pretty sure .22 (even LR) would hardly scratch concrete. Of course, I've only been shooting for 53 years.

[rametindallas]

Got to love the Thaivisa ballistics experts who can tell the calibre of bullet and the range it was fired from by looking at some grainy photo of a hole in a concrete post. Any ideas on the make and model?

The holes, yes, and maybe the 42 AK-47 shell casings found at the scene. Also, the distance from the fence where the shooter's truck was and the 100 meters to Kwanchai's house could have been a clue. Do you read the news articles associated with the story before you post?

Edited January 22, 2014 by rametindallas

[whybother]

Shooters reporting back to base: "We got them both!!"

Kwanchai:kwanchai-wpcf_728x413.jpg AND

Thaksin:BejvdpXCIAAlT1M.jpg (Also known as Mr Square!!)

That isn't Thaksin. That's the next candidate for PM if Yingluck steps down.

[charmonman]

Surprised no one's blamed the red shirts for doing this in an attempt to discredit the anti-government protesters!

Well we've certainly heard enough mindless speculation in ThaiVisa that all the violence against PDRC protests are self-inflicted in order to discredit the government and the red shirts! So why can't the other side join the party?

[rametindallas]

42 rounds from 100 yds at a sitting duck target, with 2 hits.

"A rabble is no more an army than a pile of building materials is a house. " Socrates

An AK47 on full auto is not a very accurate weapon at those distances. Muzzle climb can be significant.

Only an untrained idiot would attempt a 42 round auto burst.

I will go with that one. Let's say, 2 seconds apart to allow barrow to stabilize and re-aim in single shot mode that would be 84 seconds. Don't think they would want to hang around firing away that long and the target would have moved post haste by then also considering an arm & leg wound only. Of course, there may have been multiple weapons, but still rather amateurs.

I'm sure the shooter's adrenalin level was peaking. It takes a lot of real-life experience, if you stay alive long enough, to remain calm when you are shooting at a human target. A lot of amateurs are cowboys and have watched too many movies so they fire as many rounds as possible and hope to get lucky. I've seen cctv of US drive-by shootings and often they miss their intended target and wind up killing some innocent bystander. There are a lot more people in Thailand who are willing to do a job like that than ones who are qualified to successfully do a job like that. My own guess is that Kwanchai was 'given a message' and that if they had really wanted to kill him, they would have chosen a different venue or used a competent shooter.

[Basil B]

But according to some of the idiots on this site it is only red shirts who are violent

I suppose if you haven't been paid for all the rice you have sold to the PTP lead government, what happened here is more excusable than tossing hand grenades in to a group of peaceful protesters because you do not like the colour of their shirts.

[rametindallas]

An AK47 on full auto is not a very accurate weapon at those distances. Muzzle climb can be significant.

Only an untrained idiot would attempt a 42 round auto burst.

I will go with that one. Let's say, 2 seconds apart to allow barrow to stabilize and re-aim in single shot mode that would be 84 seconds. Don't think they would want to hang around firing away that long and the target would have moved post haste by then also considering an arm & leg wound only. Of course, there may have been multiple weapons, but still rather amateurs.

But that's not using your weapon's capability. On auto with 3-4 round bursts and a cyclic rate ~600rpm, you should easily manage a burst every 2 seconds. With anybody competent and a sighted rifle, the guy should be hamburger.

The less accurate model is 'capable of shooting 4–6 inch groups at 100 yards' and 'The best shooters are able to hit a man-sized target at 800 metres with five shots (firing from prone position or a trench) or ten shots (standing)' source wiki.

the shooter was in the back of a pickup truck; who knows what the idiot driver was doing.

[build6]

This is a first report and first reports always get modified.

Still, it's no secret an assault rifle is far more powerful and devastating than a handgun, so this is a serious development. If the elite groupings are involved going after one of their own, broadly speaking, then none of them are safe.

And this is a bushwhacking, a targeted pickoff attempt, which begins to add an eeriness to the shadow boxing already going on.

Actually if it was an M16 which uses 5.56 NATO rounds then NO a 45 or 357 is more devastating. It's a larger slug.

Edit : it seems it was an AK47.. 7.62... much bigger slug

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Shows what you know about guns. The muzzle velocity of a .45 is less than 850 fps. Link.

The speed of a .357 magnum with a typical 158 gr bullet is about 1100 fps. Link

The speed of an M193 bullet fired from an M16 is 3,165 fps. Link

There is something called ballistic energy that cannot be matched by any handgun.

Right I don't know much about guns. I'm British.

I do understand that the bullet goes faster and further .. but it's still a small slug.. hence the reason most special forces around the world use 7.62 or equal rather than the 5.56 .. they want stopping power. Just what I've read..

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

you're not 100% wrong - there is a problem with small high velocity projectiles in that against targets NOT wearing body armour, the bullet often goes THROUGH the target and doesn't actually do that much damage to the target (unless you hit some major organ or break a major bone). a big slow bullet is still a big bullet.

Edited January 22, 2014 by build6

[build6]

plus the fact that the rounds fragment and tumble upon entering flesh

supposed to - does not always happen

5.56 NATO rounds were designed to face off against Soviet bloc infantry and so "penetrating body armour" was one of the requirements.

there's interesting stories about the procurement process of the M16 (and a lot of talk about how the M16 caused a lot of US deaths in the Vietnam war), and it's raised as an example of a broken US military procurement process for weapons (most recent example being the JSF/F-35).

[build6]

42 AT him, latest report 3 hits.

Don't knock the AK-47. Cheap, reliable, tough, easy to clean, full or semi-auto, reasonable accuracy. 100+ million made.

recoil like a motherf__er. the one time I fired it on full auto it was all i could do to keep it pointed in the same general direction.

clearly not a professional hit. some guy with a weapon and training consisting primarily of watching movies.