Gaga’s mom talks to the Gazette, issues ultimatum to police
CHERNG TALAY: The mother of slain schoolboy Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul is giving police five days to bring to justice the man who took her son’s life by shooting him in the head inside a computer game center yesterday afternoon.
Gaga’s mother, Mrs Somjai Sudjit, told the Gazette today she took the boy’s remains home at 11am today after identifying Gaga at the Vachira Phuket Hospital morgue.
She is now preparing for his funeral services to take place on Monday.
Numerous witnesses have told police that Gaga was shot in the head by 34-year-old Ekawood Pipatratana, owner of the Dr Com Electronic Center in Baan Bang Tao.
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Holding back tears, Mrs Somjai told the Gazette that Amornthep was her only son. A student at the Anuban Phuket School in Phuket City, he was well loved by family and friends, she said.
“I have lost everything. My future has been ruined by that terrible gunman. I can never forgive him,” she said.
Mrs Somjai owns a florist shop located about 200 meters from the internet café where her son lost his life.
“Amornthep’s friends ran to tell me that my son was shot and that Ekawood had taken him to Bangkok Hospital. I rushed there, but couldn’t find either my son or Ekawood. The police advised me to mobilize my relatives to help in the search for his car,” she said.
Eventually an old Mitsubishi Champ matching the description of Ekawood’s vehicle was reported by police at Phuket International Airport, she said.
Later, she was informed by Thalang Police that her son’s body had been found in marshland by the side of the road near Sala Daeng Junction in the Nai Yang area at about 5:30pm.
“Amornthep’s body was thrown out as if it were a piece of useless garbage. It hurt me so much to see his lifeless body, his eyes still open and being bitten by ants,” she said.
“If there is no progress and the police cannot arrest Ekawood, I will lead a procession carrying Amornthep’s coffin to Cherng Talay Police Station, where we will protest until every member of the force has been transferred,” she said.
Cherng Talay Police Superintendent Witoon Kongsudjai said the court had issued a warrant for Ekawood’s arrest last night.
“Ekawood has already contacted police saying he intends to surrender himself, but he has yet to give us a date,” he said.
Cherng Talay Police believe Ekawood is hiding out somewhere in Phuket with his six-year-old son and will be forced to turn himself in soon.
Mr Ekawood, a native of Nakhon Ratchasima, has been married for three years to a computer science teacher, named “Duan”, at the Baan Bang Tao School. At the time of the tragedy his wife was in Bangkok with a group of students competing in a computer competition. She is scheduled to return on Saturday.
— Kamol Pirat
