30-12-2023 (BANGKOK) In a shocking incident late Friday night, two employees of a petrol station were fatally shot at their workplace. The gruesome discovery was made at a Thai Laemthong petrol station in tambon Ban Phuen of Muang district. The bodies of a man and a woman were found in the compound of the petrol station, both lifeless. The local authorities were alerted to the incident around 10.30pm on Friday.
Pol Capt Pichanon Pluemsud, the deputy investigation chief at the Muang police station, arrived at the scene where the tragic event had unfolded. Alongside forensic officers, medical staff, and rescue workers, the police team began their investigation.
The victims were identified as employees of the petrol station. The man, Phomchak Seesupha, a 33-year-old Lao national, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Additionally, he had wounds from a sharp object on his body. The woman, Wichuda Srisumang, 50, was shot in the back of the neck, and a bullet pierced her face. She was attacked while riding her motorcycle.
Surprisingly, none of the 13 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at the petrol station were operational, as they were all found unplugged. The absence of spent bullets or any other substantial evidence added to the mystery surrounding the assailants.
The bodies of the victims were transported to a forensic institute in Khon Kaen for further examination through autopsy.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the petrol station operated daily from 5 am to 9 pm, employing a total of four workers. The employees worked in two shifts, with two employees assigned to each shift. The victims were targeted while they were preparing to leave after completing their evening shift.
Chatree Mombao, the 61-year-old owner of the petrol station, shared that he had been running the business for four years and had four employees, including three Thai women and one Lao man. The two victims were part of the evening shift. Phomchak had been working with him for approximately one year and was unmarried, while Wichuda had divorced her husband nearly two decades ago. According to Mr. Chatree, the victims had no known conflicts with anyone. He also confirmed that no cash or other valuable assets were missing from the station.
Authorities are currently perplexed about the motive behind the brutal killings. The deliberate act of disconnecting all the CCTV cameras suggests that the crime was well-planned. As a result, the police, led by Pol Col Phakphum Decharuangsil, the chief of Muang police, will exhaustively investigate all potential motives, including personal disputes, business conflicts, and the possibility of fake petrol bills being involved.
