Thai military doctor with mental illness surrenders after shooting near Bangkok

A Thai military doctor surrendered to police last night after a shooting incident in a village on the Srinakarin Road in the Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok.

Bang Kaew Police Station officers received a report of a shooting at 4.45pm yesterday, December 11, and rushed to the scene to find the gunman shouting and waving a gun around outside of his house. He later entered the house and continued to cause a scene.

Workers at a swimming pool construction site near the gunman’s residence reported that the individual discharged three rounds into the ground close to the site, expressing dissatisfaction with the noise generated by the workers. Fortunately, no injuries occurred as a result of the gunfire.

As a precautionary measure, officers maintained a distance of 200 metres, monitoring the situation while reaching out to the gunman’s family to encourage his surrender. Subsequently, the gunman, identified as a former military doctor who had relocated from the Deep South provinces to a hotel in Bangkok, was identified.

Police investigations revealed a ten-year history of mental health issues for the doctor, and it was suggested that the absence of medication might have contributed to the shooting incident.

The village’s legal representative clarified that the construction site did not pose a disturbance and attributed the shooting to the doctor’s mental health struggles. Additionally, it was noted that the altercation with his daughter preceded the incident.

Toy guns arsenal

The man came out of his house at around 9pm and started shouting at reporters. Officers thought he might be stressed after seeing news reports about himself on the news. Officers prepared for an act of violence but the man did not have a weapon in his hand and later returned to his home.

After over six hours of negotiations, officers and the gunman’s family successfully convinced the man to surrender at 9.30pm. Emerging from his residence, he demonstrated that he was unarmed. Subsequently, the man was apprehended by officers and transported to the hospital for additional treatment for his mental health condition.

Upon searching the house, only toy guns and plastic bullets were discovered, with no real firearms present. Despite the imitation nature of the guns, the army doctor is still liable to be charged under Section 392 of the Criminal Law for causing fear and alarm to others. The potential penalty involves imprisonment for up to one month, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or a combination of both.