Hitman strikes outside busy Big C

PHUKET TOWN: A man was shot dead outside the busy Big C Supercenter on the bypass road this afternoon by a motorcycle-riding killer who scored with three bullets to his victim’s head before speeding off. Visanuwat Ngamjun, 38, from Phuket, slumped behind the wheel of his Toyota Corona Altis. The engine continued to run as a passerby attempted to open the car door to help, but was thwarted by the automatic central locking system. Police have yet to draw a connection between today’s brazen shooting and a spate of more than 1,000 execution-style murders and scores of attempted killings throughout Thailand since February 1, the start of the government’s national anti-drugs campaign. Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, said that one witness, a foreigner, saw the man on the motorbike call out to K. Visanuwat as he drove out of Big C about 1:30 pm. The victim stopped his car and the gunman got off his motorcycle, walked up to the Toyota and fired four times. Two shots hit K. Visanuwat in his right ear, and one in the chin. Police believe the dead man was involved in the property business. About 20 officers, including forensic police, were combing the area around the murder scene for clues this afternoon.