Publisher assassinated

PHUKET CITY: Opas Noothong, 59, owner of the recently-launched newspaper Fahkumnod (“Natural Order”) and of the Jao Khun Karaoke on Luang Por Rd, was gunned down by two teenagers while walking back to his office about 11:30 pm on Saturday.

Pol Capt Rassada Kluengwong, of Phuket City Police Station, told the Gazette, “Witnesses said that K. Opas was walking from Chatuchak market [on Phang Nga Rd] back to his office.

“He was about 10 meters from his office [on Luang Por Rd] when two teenagers on a motorcycle rode up to him, shot him three times in the back, and then rode off.”

Capt Rassada explained that K. Opas’ son Kraiwit, 31, who was in the Fahkumnod office, heard the gunshots and looked out the window in time to see the killers fleeing the scene.

“His son took him to Vachira Phuket Hospital, but he died that night from his wounds,” Capt Rassada said.

He added that K. Opas had been shot once in the right lung, and twice in the liver.

“We are continuing our investigation. There are about five witnesses [to the shooting], and there are a few things about his newspaper that we are looking into. He also had problems related to his former work [as a reporter],” Capt Rassada said.

“We have set up an investigation team to catch the killers quickly,” he added.