Village headman in Udon Thani kills son in self-defence

A tragic event unfolded when the village headman of Nong Wua So district in Udon Thani province, found himself in a life-and-death situation with his youngest son who was under the influence of methamphetamine (meth). The confrontation ended with the village chief fatally shooting his son in self-defence after the latter fired at him.

The incident occurred yesterday, October 2. The village headman, 57 year old Thanet, attempted to calm his 34 year old son, Apilak, who was in a drug-induced frenzy. Apilak opened fire on his father with a firearm, but Thanet managed to avoid the bullets and shot back with a government-issued shotgun, hitting his son twice and resulting in his death. Following this, police charged Thanet with manslaughter.

Reporters visited the house where Apilak’s body was laid. They encountered grieving relatives and villagers attending the funeral. Thanet, who had been released on bail, expressed deep remorse over the incident. He performed a traditional ritual, lighting incense in front of his son’s coffin to apologise and wish him peace in the afterlife.

The village headman recounted that nearly three years ago, Apilak had set their house on fire while high on meth, leading to his arrest and a nine-year prison sentence. The court later reduced the sentence to two and a half years, influenced by the parents’ decision not to press charges. Upon his release on July 11, Apilak resumed his drug use.

Thanet explained that on the day of the incident, he had returned from rubber tapping and called the local emergency services to take his son for treatment. However, Apilak emerged with a gun, scaring the emergency staff away. Seeing his son armed, Thanet retrieved his shotgun from the house for protection and urged Apilak to lay down his weapon.

In response, Apilak challenged his father, questioning which gun was superior before firing at him. Thanet managed to dodge and fired back from a distance of about 5 metres. He expressed profound regret, noting that he had no choice but to act to protect himself and others nearby.

Regret

Thanet shared his sorrow, stating that if his son’s spirit could hear him, he wanted to apologise. He emphasised his love for both his children, noting that Apilak was his youngest, while his elder son had a family of his own. Thanet also revealed that he was raising Apilak’s two daughters, aged three and five, as their mother had separated from Apilak due to his drug use and erratic behaviour.

The village chief also mentioned previous violent incidents involving Apilak, who had threatened him with a knife on two occasions when denied money. The villagers had long been fearful of Apilak’s unpredictable actions following his release from prison for the arson incident that destroyed their home, valued at millions of baht.

A witness, 59 year old Sombat recounted seeing emergency services arrive to take Apilak to the hospital for his drug-induced delirium. Upon seeing his son with a gun, Thanet armed himself for protection.

Apilak fired first, prompting Thanet to shoot back, which led to Apilak’s death. Sombat noted that the villagers were saddened by the event but understood the necessity of Thanet’s actions.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Supatra Boonruang, Deputy Inspector of Nong Wua So Police Station, reported that Thanet confessed to using his position-issued shotgun to shoot his son. The initial shot was aimed at Apilak’s right thigh to incapacitate him but as Apilak continued to advance with the firearm, Thanet fired a second shot into his right side. Emergency services transported Apilak to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Thanet was charged with manslaughter but was granted bail, as he posed no risk of escaping and had a permanent residence, reported KhaoSod.