Teen gunman shoots seafood vendor over debt in Phetchaburi

A teen gunman surrendered to police after shooting a seafood vendor over a 200 baht debt. The incident occurred in Cha-am, Phetchaburi province, leaving the vendor dead in his pickup truck.

The incident unfolded when the seafood vendor, 24 year old Thawatchai, was shot dead in his pickup truck on a road in a Karen village in Ban Hu Pakhong, Khao Yai subdistrict, Cha-am district, Phetchaburi province. The shooting took place yesterday evening, July 11, and the suspect, 19 year old Wiwatchai, surrendered to police at 3am today.

Police Colonel Somkiat Chomchai, the chief of Cha-am Police Station, reported that the suspect had been under significant pressure from the police, which led to his surrender. Wiwatchai confessed to the crime during the interrogation, providing a detailed account of the moments leading up to and following the shooting.

“The incident began with a report of a shooting that resulted in one fatality. Our officers gathered evidence and interviewed two eyewitnesses.”

The investigation revealed that Thawatchai had been driving his pickup truck with two friends, Ken and Golf, when the shooting occurred.

Wiwatchai shot Thawatchai as he drove out of an alley, killing him instantly. Ken and Golf managed to escape and sought help from nearby residents. Initial inquiries indicated that the motive behind the shooting was a 200 baht loan that Thawatchai had given Wiwatchai to buy petrol. Thawatchai had repeatedly asked for the money back, but Wiwatchai was unable to repay it, leading to several heated arguments.

On the day of the shooting, Thawatchai confronted Wiwatchai again. Another argument ensued, during which Wiwatchai used a short-barrelled shotgun to shoot Thawatchai. After the shooting, Wiwatchai discarded the weapon by the roadside and fled the scene.

Following Wiwatchai’s confession, police searched for the discarded weapon. The teen now faces multiple charges, including premeditated murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, carrying a firearm in public, and discharging a firearm in public without justifiable cause, reported KhaoSod.