“Farang’ gunman kills Thai restaurant owner

BANG TAO: A Thai restaurant owner was shot dead in front of his wife yesterday by a gunman the victim’s spouse described as a ‘farang’ (Caucasian foreigner). Pol Lt Col Chalit Kaewyarat of Cherng Talay Police Station told the Gazette that the dead man was identified as Lor-man Karnjanasadoong, 46, owner of the Alex Restaurant on Bang Tao Beach. He said the dead man was shot six times, once in the left shoulder, twice in the stomach and three times in the face. The police found two empty bullet casings on the ground next to the body, enabling them to identify the murder weapon as a 9 mm pistol. Wanpen Lachai, 36, Lor-man’s wife, told the police that in the morning she and her husband had been to the Phuket Provincial Court because the Cherng Talay Tambon Council had filed a case against Lor-man for building on public land. The hearing ended at 5 pm. As they drove home, a white Suzuki Jeep cut in front of their own jeep and both the driver and passenger in the jeep turned to look at them. The driver of the jeep, she said, was Thai, while the passenger was a Westerner. When they arrived back at the restaurant, a farang wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt and a baseball cap was sitting at one of their tables drinking a beer. Lor-man walked back to his own jeep, whereupon the farang got up and followed him. When they got to the jeep, the farang pulled out a gun and shot Lor-man a number of times. He then walked back to the road where he got into a white jeep which she recognized as the one that had cut in front of them earlier in the afternoon. After getting into the jeep, the gunman fired at Lor-man’s vehicle, smashing all the windows. Pol Lt Col Chalit said police are working on the theory that the killing was the result of a business conflict. A sketch of the gunman will be issued soon. Meanwhile, investigations continue.