Police vow to catch tycoon’s killers

PHUKET CITY: Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Pol Col Chalit Tinthanee said today that police were “certain to arrest the murderers” of Phuket businessman Preecha “Ko Noi” Kraitas.

K. Preecha, 43, was shot twice in the head while driving home along Wiset Rd late on Tuesday night. (Sea earlier story here.) He was rushed to Phuket International Hospital, but died there from his injuries.

“This morning officers from Phuket Provincial Police, Chalong Police Station and Police Region 8 headquarters in Surat Thani met to investigate this case,” Col Chalit said.

“We have set up checkpoints to catch the killers. However, they are still at large, and we are not sure whether they are still on Phuket,” he said.

“We believe that the motive for the killing was a business conflict,” he added.

K. Preecha’s body is currently lying at the family home in the Fisherman Way housing estate, which K. Preecha owned. About 1,000 people had already visited the home to express their condolences to the family, K. Preecha’s mother told the Gazette today.

The tycoon is survived by his wife, K. Jurairat, 35, and his two children, “Kong”, 9, and “Got”, 12.

The cremation ceremony will take place at Wat Chalong on Monday.