Feathers fly as rooster rivalry turns deadly: Thai police hunt cockfight avenger in central Thailand

Officers from Don Thum Police Station in the central province of Nakhon Pathom are searching for a Thai gunman who murdered a victim after his rooster lost a cockfight in the province.

Police were alerted to the shooting at a well-known cockpit arena among locals in Nakhon Pathom’s Don Thum district yesterday, October 9. The deceased was a cockfight winner, 33 year old Pirun Yotkuea, and the gunman was a 29 year old man named Ben Lao-ngam. Ben fled the scene in his black Toyota Fortuner SUV after the shooting.

The witnesses told the police that Ben’s rooster had lost to Pirun’s rooster, causing the latter to lose 100,000 baht to the former. Unable to accept his defeat, Ben started a physical altercation with Pirun, causing chaos in the cockpit.

Suddenly, and without warning, Ben brandished a firearm, discharging it into the air before firing multiple rounds into Pirun. Ben immediately left the scene and witnesses rushed Pirun to the nearby hospital, where he tragically died.

Don Thum district official Kasawat Chunprasert said the cockpit was owned by a 60 year old man named Worawit Intayiao, and the venue operated with all the necessary legal permits for conducting cockfighting and gambling activities.

However, the incident led to the revocation of all permits and a temporary shutdown of the establishment as police conducted a thorough investigation.

According to the police, Ben possessed the firearm entirely within the bounds of the law. This revelation sparked concerns among netizens regarding the qualifications and checks required for individuals seeking firearm ownership, as well as the measures in place to prevent their misuse.

Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul appeared at the cockfight arena in the aftermath of the tragic event. Anutin called upon local authorities to adopt stringent measures against those in possession of firearms, emphasising that firearms should be stored within homes, with any public display leading to legal repercussions.

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