Why love’s a blast

KAMPHAENG PHET: They say you’re never too old to fall in love. But if that’s true, then it must follow that you’re never too old to blow away a romantic rival with a shotgun in a fit of jealous rage, either. When 73-year-old land owner Samraan Imsuwat rented out a piece of land to 71-year-old Nou See-uso to cultivate jasmine flowers, the elderly pair got along just fine – at first. But before long Samraan learned that it wasn’t just flowers that K. Nou was rooting – he was also having “intimate relations” with Samraan’s 70-year-old wife, Kleaw. Realizing that more than just his turf had been invaded, relations between Samraan and his opportunistic tenant quickly soured. Arguments grew increasingly violent, with Samraan eventually threatening to kill the adulterous pair. Taking the threat at face value, K. Kleaw quickly packed her bags and moved away to live in safety with her children. That left just two old men – and one score to settle. On the morning of August 15, Samraan pulled his motorcycle up to the jasmine field where K. Nou was working. K. Nou made the fatal mistake of raising the issue of K. Kleaw as his cuckolded rival approached. This led to a violent argument that ended with Samraan pulling out a sawn-off shotgun and firing a single blast that left K. Nou lying in a pool of blood. When police arrived, they found K. Nou dead among the bloodstained flower petals, with nine wounds about his chest and neck. Officials are still trying to track down Samraan, who fled on his motorcycle.