Malaysia and Thailand jointly investigate Betong shooting

A man from Malaysia is seriously injured after he was shot by a suspected Thai national in Betong town, Yala province, southern Thailand, on Saturday.

The victim, 55 year old Rada [surname withheld], from Kampung Padang Tamat in Pengkalan Hulu, was driving a motorbike along Chantharothai Road when he was shot three times in front of a convenience store at 7.42pm.

Thai media reported that officers from Betong Police Station believe they know who the assailant is but have not yet tracked him down.

The incident was captured clearly by CCTV footage, which pictures Rada driving his motorbike when a second motorbike creeps up beside him.

The gunman shot Rada three times before swiftly turning around and fleeing the scene. Rada stumbled into a nearby pharmacy to get help.

Malaysian authorities joined the investigation to locate the culprit and find out the motive of the crime.

Pengkalan Hulu police chief Zulkepli Ibrahim said…

“The man sustained injuries to his stomach and thigh and is currently being treated at Betong Hospital.”

“The case is being investigated by the Thai police to determine the motive behind the attack, whether it was a personal dispute or business-related.”

Police revealed that Rada regularly crossed from Malaysia into Thailand because he has a Thai wife and an entertainment business in Betong.

The wounded victim has prior criminal records in Thailand involving drugs, added Zulkepli.

Both Thai and Malaysian police are intensifying their efforts to get to the bottom of the shooting.

On Friday, Songkhla Provincial Court sentenced four people – three Thais and one Malaysian – to the death penalty over the fatal shooting of a 55 year old Malaysian businessman in Songkhla province seven years ago.

None of the suspects sentenced to death pulled the trigger. Two more defendants, the gunman and his driver, had their sentence reduced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty.

The motive behind the businessman’s planned assassination was to allegedly clear a land title debt of more than 120 million baht.