Thai monk beaten up in gang attack after shooting sub-district officer

Locals in the northern province of Sukhothai beat up a 70 year old Thai monk after he shot a 60 year old sub-district officer. The gunman revealed he became angry at being called a thug and that is why he shot the man. Srisat Chanalai Police Station officers rushed to investigate a shooting scene at Koh Rabiang Temple in the Srirat Chanalai district of Sukhothai province and encountered a group of locals gathered at the scene.

Surrounded by locals was a 60 year old Thai man named Jom Yongyart who was shot in the left side of his body. Jom was rushed to Srirat Chanalai Hospital and later transferred to Si Samrong Hospital for more specialised treatment.

Another injured person was a 70 year old monk named Prasert Dateudom. His face was covered with blood and wounds. The monk was tied up with a robe by locals. The officers untied him, gave him first aid, and transferred him to a hospital for a medical examination.

Locals reported to the police that they no longer wanted Prasert to live at the temple, saying he was a thug. He displayed inappropriate and violent behaviour. He reportedly physically assaulted the abbot three days before this incident.

People went on to explain that they decided to hold a meeting where the sub-district officer, Jom, asked Prasert to leave the temple. Prasert agreed to leave saying he needed two to three days to pack his things up and left the meeting.

Unexpectedly, Prasert returned to the crowd with a shotgun in his hand and immediately shot Jom. To prevent Prasert from escaping, the locals said they had to beat and tie him up.

Monk defends himself

Prasert was questioned by the police, and he confessed to his wrongdoing. He accused Jom of fostering a misunderstanding between him and the local community. According to Prasert, Jom was entrusted with the financial records of the temple but recorded ambiguous transactions, leading to confusion and animosity among the locals.

Additionally, Prasert refuted allegations of physically assaulting the abbot. He claimed that he was the primary caregiver for the disabled abbot and recounted an incident where the abbot spat food on his plate.

In response to this, Prasert pushed the abbot on the back of the neck. Contrary to others’ claims, he asserted that he did not attack the abbot.

Following the shooting, Prasert faces charges of attempted murder. The potential penalty, as outlined in Section 288 of the Criminal Law, is either life imprisonment or a term ranging from 15 to 20 years.