1-6-2023 (BANGKOK) A tragic incident unfolded on Tuesday (May 30) when a woman who had purchased a house from a bank in Thailand was allegedly shot dead by the former owner of the property after he refused to vacate.
The shocking incident took place in the Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani province, north of Bangkok. The victim, Kamolporn Donthong, 52, had acquired the house through a purchase from the bank, which had seized the property and sold it through the Legal Execution Department, as reported by Thai news outlet.
Upon arriving at the property around 3pm to discuss the situation with the former owner, identified as Decha Phayakkha, 66, the woman was met with resistance. It is alleged that Decha shot her while she was standing on the street outside the house, instantly ending her life.
Following the shooting, a stand-off lasting over four hours ensued as police and a special operations squad surrounded the house in an attempt to apprehend Decha. Even when his daughter was called to the scene to assist in persuading him to surrender, he stubbornly refused.
Around 4:30pm, the chief of Thanyaburi Police Station, Jirawat Piampinset, made an appeal to Decha to lay down his weapon and surrender, but there was no response. Approximately an hour later, Decha fired shots from the house as the special operations police cautiously approached.
Finally, at around 7:55pm, Decha decided to surrender himself and was subsequently taken into custody at Thanyaburi Police Station.
Sariphong Apiwan, the deputy investigation chief of the police station, revealed to the Bangkok Post that the suspect had experienced heightened stress overnight but had calmed down when his children visited him. On Wednesday, his son, daughter, and a lawyer paid him a visit at the police station.
Decha is facing initial charges of murder, attempted killing of officers on duty, and firearms offenses. Authorities will present him before Thanyaburi Provincial Court, where they will request his detention for the initial 12-day period of the investigation.
