Former village headman survives shooting in Nonthaburi
Sudden violence hints at deeper unrest in upcoming local race
In Nonthaburi, a former village headman and prospective candidate for the Bang Rak Noi subdistrict administrative organisation chief, narrowly escaped harm when unknown assailants fired shots at his car.
The incident occurred at 9pm yesterday, April 20, when 61 year old Suchart Kaewpradit was driving a white Toyota Yaris, with registration number 5 กท 6007 Bangkok, back from a funeral in Pak Kret district.
Turning left onto Rattanathibet Road near Bang Rak Noi BTS station, Suchart heard four gunshots and realised his car had been hit. Fearing for his safety, he quickly drove into a nearby petrol station.
After the incident, he went to the police station to report the attack and inspect his vehicle. It was discovered that a bullet had pierced the driver’s side door, likely lodging inside the door. Police forensic teams were called to collect the bullet for analysis.
Suchart recounted that he was returning from the funeral of a former village headman at Wat Sing Thong around 7.50pm. Upon hearing the gunshots, he decided to pull into the petrol station. Fortunately, he was unharmed despite the bullet hole in his car door.
He did not notice where the shots came from, as he was focused on turning left into the petrol station to refuel. He did not see any suspicious vehicles following him on the road.
However, he recalled hearing someone shout, “Did you change your car, headman?” as he was leaving the temple, though he could not identify the speaker. Suchart stated he has never had conflicts with anyone and has always been helpful to locals during his tenure as a village headman.
Suchart speculated that the attack was not due to road rage, as other vehicles were driving in line with his. He was unsure of the motive behind the shooting but noted that if the gunman aimed higher, the bullet might have hit him.
This year, he planned to run for election as the chief of the Bang Rak Noi subdistrict administrative organisation, with the current term ending in six months. However, he doubted this could have led to such violence.
Initially, police secured his vehicle at the precinct, coordinating with forensic officers to examine the bullet type. Investigators are reviewing the crime scene for evidence and checking CCTV footage to identify and apprehend the perpetrators.
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