Love triangle turns deadly in Phuket with fatal point-blank shooting
A fatal shooting over a love triangle occurred outside Katu Police Station in Phuket on Sunday, October 13, when two men and one woman arranged a meeting to resolve the matter.
Officers at Katu Police Station followed a white pickup belonging to the gunman, later identified as 32 year old Thitipong, who fled the scene after the shooting. Police managed to track down the pickup near Katu Waterfall, but Thitipong refused to surrender.
Thitipong continued to evade the police, prompting officers to shoot the tyres of his vehicle and arrest him. The gunman was then taken to the police station for questioning. Officers successfully apprehended Thitipong within ten minutes of the incident.
According to the police report, the shooting took place at the front of the alley opposite Katu Police Station. The victim, 38 year old Suwit Nokkate, was found lying lifeless in a pool of his blood in the alley.
Police reviewed the CCTV footage and discovered that Thitipong and Suwit engaged in a heated argument at the location at around 11.40am that day. The woman, reported to be Suwit’s girlfriend, was also present at the scene.
Thitipong was said to have had an affair with Suwit’s girlfriend and they arranged a meeting at the scene of the incident to clear up the issue. Unfortunately, the two men argued, and the confrontation quickly escalated into a fatal shooting.
CCTV footage showed Thitipong grabbing Suwit’s bag, which was believed to contain the gun, causing Suwit to flee. Thitipong then pulled out the gun and shot Suwit twice. Suwit attempted to cross the road to the police station for help but was struck by a car. He collapsed outside the police station and died.
Suwit’s girlfriend was seen hugging Thitipong and pleading with him to stop the assault. Thitipong then ran away from her and escaped in his pickup before being arrested by the police.
The legal charges against Thitipong have not yet been confirmed. Following reports on a similar case, Thitipong is expected to be charged under Section 288 of the Criminal Law for intentional murder. The potential punishments include the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for 15 to 20 years.
