Deadly debt dispute: Burmese man shot at Khon Kaen hospital

A gunman shot dead a Burmese man last night while the victim was receiving treatment and awaiting surgery at Khon Kaen Hospital in Isaan. The suspected motive behind the murder is believed to be related to debt.

The fatal shooting occurred in a male ward on the fifth floor of a building at Khon Kaen Hospital around 11pm last night, June 6. The Burmese deceased, 29 year old, Kyaw Swar Aong, was shot in the back of his neck. Medical workers tried to save his life but were unsuccessful.

The victim’s Thai girlfriend told Channel 7 that her boyfriend was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, June 5, due to a tumour on his back. He was waiting for surgery to remove the tumour today, June 7. She was at the hospital caring for him until the shooting took place.

The girlfriend maintained that she was unaware of the motive behind the shooting. She stressed that jealousy or extramarital affairs were not factors, citing their four-year relationship without any disagreements on such issues.

Additionally, the girlfriend revealed that her boyfriend had never been involved in conflicts with friends or colleagues. However, she noted that he had borrowed 12,000 baht from a colleague in the past, suggesting that debt might be the motive for the murder.

Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station Superintendent Yotsawat Karesuebthayanich reported that the gunman pretended to be Kyaw Swar Aong’s relative and asked medical workers about the victim’s location, claiming he wanted to visit.

According to Yotsawat, officers went to Kyaw Swar Aong’s workplace to meet his colleague from whom he had borrowed money but the person was not present. Officers are now searching for this person, believing he may be involved in the murder.

In a related report, another shooting occurred at Cha-am Hospital in the southern province of Phetchaburi in April. In this case, police officers shot and injured a Thai man after he brought drugs and a weapon into the hospital and began causing chaos.