Company accountant shot while jogging

PHUKET CITY: Police are scratching their heads after company accountant Somporn Pattanakij, 61, was shot dead by a gunman while jogging with his wife near Suan Luang Park early yesterday morning.

The gunman shot K. Somporn once in the face with an 11mm pistol before jumping on a motorcycle and being driven away by an accomplice.

K. Somporn died while being taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital by Kusoldharm Foundation rescue volunteers.

Pol Lt Col Sanguan Muangtham of Phuket City Police Station said that K. Somporn’s wife, K. Sumalee, had told investigators that she and her husband went to Suan Luang together every morning for exercise. K. Somporn would jog on ahead, while she would walk behind, she said.

Another witness to the killing said that the gunman was apparently waiting for K. Somporn and called out to him as he jogged past. When K. Somporn stopped, the assassin shot him from about two meters away, then walked over to a motorcycle waiting nearby.

“We don’t yet know why the gunman killed him. We have to investigate further,” Col Sanguan said.