Sukhothai: 24 year old man with drug addiction problems shoots grandfather

A 24 year old Thai man, who reportedly had a problem with drug addiction since high school, shot his grandfather.

The young man’s mother had travelled from Bangkok to take him to rehab but instead, she arrived home to attend her father’s funeral.

The incident occurred in the small district of Ban Dan Lan Hoi in Sukhothai province. The local police were alerted to a shooting that resulted in a fatality, and upon arrival, they discovered the body of a 68 year old man, identified as Pradit (surname withheld).

It was found that the man had been shot in the left side of his chest. The accused was identified as 24 year old Yotsaphat, the victim’s grandson, who had fled the scene after committing the crime.

Pradit’s 66 year old wife, Wann, shared that the couple had been raising their grandson since he was very young. According to her, Yotsaphat began using drugs in high school and didn’t have a job, spending his days under the influence. He would often ask them for money to buy drugs or steal food from their pantry, forcing them to lock it up.

On the day of the incident, tensions escalated when Yotsaphat threatened to shoot his grandmother but was stopped by his mother. This altercation led him downstairs where he ran into Pradit, who was on his way to feed the cows. An argument ensued, and it tragically ended with Yotsaphat shooting his grandfather.

The victim’s daughter and perpetrator’s 46 year old mother, Malai, tearfully recounted that her son’s severe drug addiction had forced her to install CCTV cameras to monitor his behaviour. She had travelled from Bangkok to take him to a rehabilitation centre, as he had been struggling with addiction for over a decade.

She had previously sought help from the police, reporting her own son’s violent behaviour towards his grandparents and his intent to harm them. The police would only detain him for two or three days before releasing him, reported KhaoSod.

Never did she imagine that she would be returning home to the devastating scene of her father’s funeral, instead of taking her son to rehab. The shocking incident has left the family in deep sorrow and the local community in shock. The police are currently on the hunt for Yotsaphat.