8-8-2023 (BANGKOK) A shocking and tragic incident unfolded in Bangkok’s Lak Si district on Monday night, as a motorcycle taxi driver embarked on a deadly spree that claimed the lives of four individuals before he turned the gun on himself. Police have attributed the rampage to a volatile mix of jealousy and familial strife. The harrowing sequence of events occurred within the confines of Soi Chaeng Wattana 6. The perpetrator behind this heinous act was identified as Somchai Kaewkomol, a 54-year-old motorcycle taxi driver.
Pol Capt Chairat Thamseeha, an officer on duty at Thung Song Hong, provided this grim insight. Eyewitnesses recounted that at approximately 7:30 pm, Somchai arrived at Nicknack market, located within Soi Chaeng Wattana 6. Fuelled by jealousy, he took aim at his estranged wife’s mother, Sopha Jansoda, a 59-year-old lottery vendor, and fatally shot her in the head. Tragically, Sopha succumbed to her injuries later at Mongkutwattana Hospital. Somchai’s rampage took an even more chilling turn as he proceeded to Ban Suan Ratchathani condominium, situated about a kilometre from the marketplace. He forcibly entered room 225/213 on the 9th floor of Building 5, where he carried out a merciless attack.
His victims included Sopha’s elder sister, Thawee Sinma, aged 60, as well as two young boys, Thanakrit Kaewkret (7) and Kritpas Kaewkret (9). The assailant exhibited a disturbing consistency, targeting each victim’s head with fatal accuracy. Tragedy culminated in grim finality as Somchai took his own life. Overwhelmed by the gravity of his actions, he inflicted a fatal gunshot wound upon himself, ultimately succumbing in a shelter situated in front of the condominium. Investigations by Pol Capt Chairat unveiled a chilling backstory. The two young boys who fell victim to Somchai’s rampage were the sons of his estranged wife, Viraya Sinma, aged 39, from a previous marriage.
Somchai and Viraya had shared a life together as a couple for approximately two years. However, their relationship met its demise about a month prior, as Viraya ended their partnership after a series of bitter quarrels. She subsequently sought solace with another man. The motive behind the merciless killings was rooted in a cauldron of jealousy and complex family dynamics, law enforcement officials surmised.
