10-12-2024 (BANGKOK) A bloody incident in Thailand’s eastern province of Prachinburi has left four people dead, including the perpetrator, and three others injured in what witnesses describe as a terrifying sequence of attacks on Tuesday afternoon.
The violent spree began at approximately 1:34 PM local time when Surat Thongbai, 38, launched an assault using both a knife and firearm at a small shop situated behind Prachinburi Commercial Vocational College in the Na Mueang district.
According to local authorities, the initial attack claimed its first victim before Thongbai fled the scene on a motorcycle, heading towards his residence near the Prachin Buri River. The assailant then proceeded on foot to a nearby establishment specialising in roasted chicken, where he unleashed a second wave of violence.
At the eatery, Thongbai attacked the proprietor, Somporn Saopanao, with a knife before discharging his firearm inside the premises. Three customers — Boonlert Saopanao, Krisada Saopanao, and Wanchai Sudjai — sustained gunshot wounds during the incident.
In a dramatic turn of events, the victims managed to overpower Thongbai, successfully disarming him and restraining him with rope. Sources indicate that during the struggle, Thongbai sustained fatal stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Emergency services rushed the four casualties from the chicken shop to Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, where one victim subsequently succumbed to their injuries, bringing the total death toll to four, including the assailant.
Local law enforcement has launched a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attacks. The incident has sent shockwaves through this typically peaceful provincial community, located approximately 135 kilometres northeast of Bangkok.
