Nakhon Si Thammarat named Thailand’s most murderous province

Nakhon Si Thammarat, a southern Thai province, is proving worrisome for the Crime Suppression police as they have named the area the country’s most murderous province since the start of 2021. Police suspect the abundance of households that possess guns is partially to blame for the high murder rate.

The Crime Suppression police have expressed their alarm at the number of slayings in the province, which, as of this writing, has averaged 5.5 murders a month for a total of 40 murders. Superintendent with the Crime Suppression Division, Wirachan Khunchaikaew, says the police are concerned about the climbing murder rate in Nakhon Si Thammarat. He says most of the killings were not planned or contracted.

The police went on to say that they have been scrutinizing data and investigation reports to find any common factors in the killings in order to curb the high homicide rate. Police add that they are performing searches for illegal weapons to keep them away from people who are inclined to violence.

Wirachan says of the 40 murder cases this year, police have already arrested suspects in 34 cases. He adds that the rest of the suspects have been identified by police but have escaped arrest. He went on to say that firearms have been used in 27 of the murder cases and that 21 of the cases involved personal conflicts, 2 of the murders were about adulterous affairs, and 1 of the cases concerned illegal drugs. The police have not been able to determine motives in 15 of the cases.

On the topic of motives and firearms, the superintendent continued to say that the province used to be home to many hitmen. Further, many residents felt they needed to carry guns for personal safety, for example, if they were tapping rubber at night or when they inspected fields. Pol Maj Theerayut says that the accessibility of guns means simple arguments can turn fatal. Theerayut adds that some Nakhon residents have short tempers, which can exacerbate the situation.

“Shooting incidents are mostly spurred by heated arguments or family fights. In most cases, the conflicts pit relatives against one another”, says Theerayut.

This month, the province saw a man allegedly stab his common-law wife to death in front of a police station. Before that, a couple was shot to death.

SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times