Surat Thani police arrest duo for village headman’s murder

Two suspects were apprehended in connection with the fatal shooting of a village headman who was killed outside his home in Surat Thani province.

The assailants, apprehended along with firearms and clothing worn during the incident, are thought to have had a personal dispute with the victim.

In the early hours of February 13, 36 year old Mae Mok village headman Pawaris was fatally shot in front of his home in Surat Thani province. The incident left the local community in shock and prompted an immediate police investigation.

The Surat Thani police, led by several senior officers, arrested a 60 year old gardener named Ubon (surname withheld) and a 51 year old construction contractor, Chaiwat. Both men were apprehended on suspicion of their involvement in Pawaris’s death.

The authorities had secured arrest warrants for the suspects under charges of intentional murder, possession of firearms and ammunition, and carrying weapons in public.

The evidence collected by the investigative team included two shotguns, a .22 calibre rifle, clothing, mobile phones, and other items, all of which were found in the district where the crime took place. The thorough collection of evidence and witness testimonies led the police to conclude that Ubon and Chaiwat were the perpetrators of the crime.

The suspects were detained and taken to the local police station for further questioning, reported KhaoSod.

As the investigation unfolds, the police suspect that personal conflict was the motive behind the murder. If further investigations reveal additional accomplices, the authorities will seek more arrest warrants.

In related news, a joint operation by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Phuket Provincial Police culminated in the apprehension of the alleged murderer. Thanya “Bom” Wichaidit, is a suspect in the murder of a casino crime boss in Surat Thani in 2022 and the recent fatal shooting of a young woman near Don Sak Police Station.