Koh Samui, Surat Thani:- A businessman, said to be an influential person on this popular tourist-destination island, was gunned down Friday night at a walking street fair.

The shooting that happened at 7:40 pm caused panic to both Thai and foreign tourists who were shopping at the Borphud walking street.

Panas Khao-uthai, 49, alias Tag Borphud, was shot six times in his back and he died on the way to the Ban Don Inter Hospital, police said.

Panas was known to be an influential real estate developer. He also co-owned some restaurants on Koh Samui with some farang businessmen. He reportedly provided protection to farang businessmen who invested on the island.

Pol Lt Col Pongkhachorn Sukkasang, an investigator on duty of the Koh Samui police station, said Panas and his employees were having dinner at the Karma Restaurant on the soi leading to the Borphud pier where he organized the walking street fair when two gunmen opened fire at them.

Pongkhachorn said two employees of Panas were also injured. Chaiklom Kruaphakdee, 36, was shot in his left eye and Sunthorn Chumsai, 42, in his left arm.

Footage from a security camera showed that two men walked to the shop and opened fire at Panas, cutting him down. They then walked to shoot him at pointblank before they fled the scene.

An autopsy found that Panas was shot six times in his back.

The sound of gunfire terrified both Thai and foreign tourists, who ran for cover.

Police have stepped up checking at all piers on Koh Samui to try to prevent the gunmen from fleeing.

Panas was known to be an influential real estate developer. He also co-owned some restaurants on Koh Samui with some farang businessmen. He reportedly provided protection to farang businessmen who invested on the island.

So if we look at the quote above we may well come to the conclusion that there were there are business practices operated on the island that may well be considered unethical thus those ''business people'' foreign or Thai were in the habit of having a ''loss of profits assurance policy'' in operation to protect their''investments.

Premiums paid monthly or weekly to the ''assurance man'' one wonders?

"Police have stepped up checking at all piers on Koh Samui to try to prevent the gunmen from fleeing."

​Quick before they make it to Mynamar. You just know it can't be a Thai.

Not good for tourism again.

"they were having dinner at the Karma restaurant" hmmmmm.

lot of news worthy events on the Island recently - I wonder is there a power struggle going on and who is afraid to leave their house right now, not a safe place to be if this escalates further

Police have stepped up checking at all piers on Koh Samui to try to prevent the gunmen from fleeing.

Well, that is a load of bull. I assume the police know who is involved as they have their dirty hands in every business. They may be at the piers helping them leave like so many RTP did to help the 'influential' family suspects on Koh Tao.

Should have known influential actually means dodgy.

Sad, and paradise keeps getting smaller and smaller ....

This is how business disputes. Are settled, in the land of happiness and smiles!

Video can be seen here https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=776587439100525

It's not graphic. It shows Walking Street and the 2 shooters with raised guns going into and out of the restaurant but not the actual shooting.

Dodge City

Stray bullet from the wannabe cowboy cop?

Video can be seen here https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=776587439100525

It's not graphic. It shows Walking Street and the 2 shooters with raised guns going into and out of the restaurant but not the actual shooting.

RIP to the deceased, along with what was left of their tourist industry

(This wasn't the first multi-witness incident there; kids an' all must have seen it!)

"Police have stepped up checking at all piers on Koh Samui to try to prevent the gunmen from fleeing."

​Quick before they make it to Mynamar. You just know it can't be a Thai.

Yes I guess if it had been a big businessman shot on KT instead of two young falang stabbed and hacked to death they might have thought to do the same last Sept.

"they were having dinner at the Karma restaurant" hmmmmm.

Karma >noun (in Hinduism and Buddhism) a person's actions in this and previous lives,seen as affecting their future fate.

Tak (his nitname was taxi because he is born in a taxi in Bangkok) was a real nice guy. I know him 30 years already. I will go to see his family this evening after work. Please keep your bad comments until we know why this happened. RIP my friend

I guess he thought he was untouchable and stopped looking over his shoulder or else he would have seen it coming

Are they suggesting that foreign business owners NEED protection from local "businessmen" like this in order to conduct business in Thailand? Should look good for future investors.

"they were having dinner at the Karma restaurant" hmmmmm.

Karma >noun (in Hinduism and Buddhism) a person's actions in this and previous lives,seen as affecting their future fate.

Outside these traditions it has come to mean "what goes around comes around", "reap what you sew" etc.

Providing protection for foreign business men?
Maybe he didn't pay enough for his own protection?
Sum Nam Naa

@Mijako - people extorting money from businesses
and provide so called "protection" are usually not
very nice people.

Two Matchstick men walking around shooting people in the back...sounds normal for this country, and i bet they were paid peanuts and will be hung out to dry never knowing who actually ordered the shooting.

RIP the victim and Condolences to his family.

Right in the middle of a family orientated touristic event. Imagine what those tourists will tell their friends about Samui when they return home.

In my understanding, influential people are people who contribute to the betterment of peoples lives in some way. Gandhi was an influential person as is ASSK.

More recently the likes of Tiger Woods, Angelina Jolie and David Beckham can be said to be influential in their own way.

In Thailand, "influential" is Thaispeak for a person of dubious character often referred to in the west as a gangster. Al Capone was an influential person as were the Kray twins influential people.

Chances are these guys got what was coming as an after dinner digestif..

This is how business disputes. Are settled, in the land of happiness and smiles!

Year after year Thailand scores third in the world per capita for the most homicides by gunshot, evidently Buddhism isn't working here.

The Mafia is a live and well here.

Of course influential people also take care of many of those in their spheres,

they like making face by using their gains to make people indebted to them,

or just look the big man and put on the glad-hand, and be welcome in many rooms.

That doesn't mean their hands are clean, they just know how to smooth their image.

Behind the scenes is another matter. When you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas.

Guess that kind of ruined dessert, didn't it?

ImageUploadedByThaivisa Connect1425714579.267458.jpg

Bl**dy Karma, innit?

Police have stepped up checking at all piers on Koh Samui to try to prevent the gunmen from fleeing.

Well, that is a load of bull. I assume the police know who is involved as they have their dirty hands in every business. They may be at the piers helping them leave like so many RTP did to help the 'influential' family suspects on Koh Tao.

People like you just post utter rubbish without actually thinking about what you are saying and just post assumptions as soon as they come into your head