Fishing for trouble: Pathum Thani fishermen dispute turns deadly

A confrontation over fishing rights escalated into violence, resulting in a man being shot and seriously injured. The incident occurred yesterday, November 3, around 7.20pm in Khlong Luang district, Pathum Thani province.

Upon receiving the report, police officers, including Singha Singhachalee, a deputy investigator at Khlong Luang Police Station, and other senior officers arrived at the scene to investigate.

The area, an unnamed alley adjacent to a construction camp, became the setting for this unfortunate event. The injured party, a 22 year old construction worker named Panachai, had already been rushed to Thammasat University Hospital by relatives.

He had suffered gunshot wounds to the back of his neck, right chest, and left thigh after he was allegedly catching fish on private property without permission.

At the scene, police discovered a pool of blood, two spent 9mm bullet casings, and a 9mm bullet lodged in the vicinity. A curved grass-cutting knife was also found beneath a pickup truck. The alleged gunman, identified as 52 year old Kamthorn, stood waiting to surrender to the police.

He had a licensed 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun and six rounds of ammunition. The officers took him to Khlong Luang Police Station for further questioning. So far, Khamthorn has revealed his version of the events.

“I was having dinner at home when I heard dogs barking in the garden where I keep various types of fish. Upon investigation, I saw a construction worker shining a torch. I tried to chase him away, but he refused to leave.”

According to Kamthorn, he returned to his house to retrieve his gun and fired two warning shots into the water, hoping to scare off the intruder.

Later, as he was speaking with another worker from the camp who had come to inquire about the commotion, two construction workers allegedly approached and began to assault him. Kamthorn alleged that a struggle ensued, which he managed to break free from.

“As I backed away, the workers continued advancing towards me, appearing intent on causing harm. I had no choice but to fire three shots, which led to one of them collapsing.”

Despite the violent encounter, Kamthorn claimed there had been no previous conflict or acquaintance with the group of workers. Police are continuing to investigate the incident thoroughly to ascertain the exact sequence of events and the motivations behind the actions of those involved, reported KhaoSod.