Durian dispute turns deadly: Vendor kills couple over prime location

A 62 year old durian vendor killed a couple on a roadside in the Chana district of the southern province of Songkhla following a dispute over a prime location for their fruit stalls.

Officers from Chana Police Station were called to arrest the suspect, 62 year old durian vendor named Huan Saetan on Ratsarat Road yesterday, September 23. Upon arrival, officers found Huan standing at the scene with a .38 mm pistol and a knife in his hands.

The severely injured couple, 64 year old Siti-airsor Amarn and 44 year old Arduenan Musaw, were rushed to hospital. Siti-airsor suffered multiple stab wounds across her body, while Arduenan had both gunshot and stab wounds. They later succumbed to their injuries in hospital.

Huan told police that he killed the couple because they took over his prime location where he regularly sold durians. He asked them to move to another spot because he had been selling in this area first but the couple refused. They argued over the location many times before and Huan admitted to losing his temper this time.

According to a Channel 3 report, CCTV footage captured the brutal murder from the beginning. The two parties were seen engaging in an argument before Huan pulled out the gun and shot Arduenan six times.

The shooting led Siti-airsor to flee the scene to save her life. Huan followed her brandishing a knife and repeatedly stabbed her until she collapsed to the ground. Huan then returned to Arduenan, who was lying on the ground due to his injuries and stabbed him.

Following the shocking incident, the municipal office and Chana Police Station announced a ban on street stalls along the footpath on Ratsarat Road to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The legal proceedings against Huan have not yet been concluded. Police plan to question Huan in more detail before pressing charges.

Huan’s family members told ThaiRath that he had a congenital disease but forced himself to work as a vendor to make a living. The dead couple had previously operated their stall in a market near the scene and later moved to the same spot as Huan, which angered him.