Thai politician among suspects in fatal Nakhon Phanom petrol station shooting

A local politician is under investigation, together with two other suspects, following the fatal shooting of two petrol station employees in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. The victims, a 50 year old female employee and a 33 year old male known as Phromjak were discovered dead with no significant evidence or spent shell casings found at the scene. The petrol station’s 13 CCTV cameras were found to be non-operational.

Fast forward to January 1, detectives from the Provincial Police Region 4 and Nakhon Phanom continued to gather evidence. An autopsy report from the Institute of Forensic Medicine Khon Kaen is awaited for further examination. The leading theory is a love triangle, as there is a stronger motive in this case than the other alternative, a dispute over the latest petrol bill.

Investigators have detained three suspects, including a local politician, and are examining a mysterious phone number that had been in contact with the deceased before their demise. This has led police to suspect a romantic dispute, considering that the female victim was a single woman, and the other deceased employee was close to her. The investigators aren’t ruling out a corruption angle regarding a ghost petrol bill, as the petrol station’s owner had previously revealed.

The local administration organisation of Ban Phueng confirmed that no one had ever been investigated over the petrol bill corruption issue. It was merely a measure to prevent and suppress corruption, with clear evidence required for fueling and regulations issued 2-3 months ago, reported Khao Sod.

The 32 year old sister of the deceased male employee revealed chat messages in a group of petrol station employees. Her brother had shared a message about a kind customer who had given them six bottles of beer and invited colleagues to drink before the incident. About 30 minutes later, she arrived at the petrol station from another branch to find both victims shot dead. Five bottles of beer were still in the fridge in her brother’s room, suggesting a possible link to the perpetrator who might have known the victims and had a conversation before the incident.

The Nakhon Phanom Provincial Police Station revealed that deep details could not yet be disclosed due to the ongoing investigation. However, the primary focus is on the love triangle theory, due to the majority of evidence and witnesses pointing in that direction. The results from the autopsy report are awaited for further proceedings. An initial investigation into the deceased’s phone records has led to some leads, hence three suspects have been detained for further questioning and evidence collection.

While the corruption issue regarding the ghost petrol bill hasn’t been completely ruled out, it holds less weight as no corruption has been found, nor has anyone been blamed. It was merely a suspicion pointed out by the petrol station owner. However, the police are committed to catching the culprit and request time for further investigation.