Thai man injured in a gunfight with his son over 1 million baht debt

A Thai man yesterday sustained an injury to his left leg during a gunfight with his son over a 1 million baht debt at the son’s pawn shop in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen.

Officers from Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station were alerted to the shooting outside the pawn shop on Na Mueang Road at approximately 4.30pm, yesterday, August 14. Upon arrival at the scene, officers found the injured man, 53 year old Chalao, sitting on the ground with a gunshot wound to his left leg.

A medical team from Khon Kaen Hospital was called to the scene to transport Chalao to the hospital. His condition was not updated in the report.

The gunman was none other than Chalao’s son, 32 year old Pawinyo, who fled the scene after the shooting.

Pawinyo’s friend, named Kim, told police that he had been drinking alcohol with Pawinyo and learned that he was at loggerheads with his father. Kim said he had just urged Pawinyo to remain calm and settle the issue peacefully when Pawinyo’s father, Chalao, arrived at the scene with a gun in his hand.

According to Kim, Chalao parked his car outside the pawn shop, got out, and immediately fired at Pawinyo, prompting Pawinyo to pull out his gun and return fire, hitting Chalao in the leg.

Police investigated the conflict between the father and son and found that it stemmed from a 1 million baht loan Pawinyo’s older sister had borrowed from him. The sister had delayed repaying the money for a long time, despite Pawinyo urging her to do so.

As a result, Pawinyo publicly criticised his sister by sharing details of her debt on social media. This post angered Chalao, who believed that Pawinyo should not have revealed the family’s internal conflict to the public. He asked his son to delete the post but Pawinyo refused.

Channel 7 reported that Pawinyo surrendered himself later that evening and was granted temporary release. Officers have not yet issued any legal charges against the gunman.