“Big Joke” says Pattaya Pool villa victims might have been involved in drugs

UPDATE

There’s been yet another twist in the ongoing Pattaya pool villa shooting story. The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, held a press conference about the incident yesterday morning.

Surachate said the victims of the shooting might have been involved in drugs, The Pattaya News reported. Surachate discovered illegal substances in their systems after a drug test and believes they might have been involved in a drug cartel.

Surachate did not specify which substances were found, but he said the victims have become suspects and have been charged. He said that it’s possible that everyone involved in the saga may be linked in some way to a cartel. Initially, it was believed that the victims were just tourists, and there was a misunderstanding about their identities.

As of press time, 10 suspects had been arrested, Surachate said. These included two hired scapegoats.

Pattaya police chief Kunlachart said he would expand the investigation to bring down the entire illegal network. The case was about 80% finished, and another press conference would be held this Friday to give an update.

PREVIOUS UPDATE

More details have emerged on the shooting at a Pattaya pool villa on Tuesday, and more suspects have been caught. After Pattaya Police intensely interrogated the five suspects who surrendered themselves earlier, it was revealed that two of the suspects were hired as scapegoats for another three men.

The police have now busted the three new suspects at an unnamed resort in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province, The Pattaya News reported. Police say the suspects had been trying to cross the border into a neighbouring country.

The three new suspects caught are 26 year old Pawut “Toey” Chongsara, 26 year old Jirawat “Dum” Yeethapud, and 37 year old Chakkrit “Em” Pilawan. All three men are now in police custody.

The suspects claimed that the victims had borrowed their money three months ago, and they had gone to the villa to get it back. They had also drunk alcohol before driving to the villa. Police say Em was the mastermind of the shooting, and Toey was the driver.

The scapegoats, 23 year old Saralan “Top” Yodthat and 24 year old Boonrit “Chooi” Chitma, confessed they were getting paid 1,000 baht per day if they took the blame for the villa incident. It has not yet been revealed what charges they will face.

The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, said he would travel to Pattaya to lead the press conference.

The five gunmen who attacked the villa allegedly sprayed bullets at several parked vehicles and forced their way into the rental room. They also took one man into the bathroom and beat him until he bled all over the floor.

A video by The Pattaya News reported that the renters who the gunmen targeted were simply tourists. They were believed to have been involved in a conflict over some illegal business.