Gunfight in Patong

Tourists ran for their lives when a gunfight erupted between two gangs on the Patong beachfront today. One man was killed and three injured in the Patong shootout.

Bystanders said two gangs of Thai men began shooting at each other on the site of the burned out Jintana shopping center on the Patong beach road in the early afternoon.

One witness said a gang of five Thai men started shooting at a gang of three men. The smaller gang returned fire.

The gunfight moved along the beach road to near the Clublime nightclub.

Police from a nearby checkpoint raced to the scene and organized ambulances to take the injured to hospitals.

One man was taken to Patong Hospital, where he later died.

The other three were taken to the Bangkok Hospital Phuket in Phuket City, where they are being treated in the intensive care unit.

Police chased a number of the gunmen down backstreet sois and arrested at least two men.

Police would only reveal the nick names of the men arrested as "Bank" and "Ood".

The dead man is believed to be linked to the dispute over the ownership rights to the Jintana Plaza Shopping Center opposite Loma Park, which has been damaged by fire at least five times in the past two years.

The center's heiress Komkai Kositkoon was murdered in July last year.

Police believe this latest outbreak of violence is linked to a dispute over the Jintana Plaza land. Police confirmed that one of the men arrested had ties to the plaza.

Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonark said police recovered a number of bullets and spent cartridges from the scene. Police were aware of the ongoing dispute and he was confident of arresting all of the men involved in the shootout very quickly, he said.

Tommy Somsanuk, marketing manager of the Clublime nightclub, said he heard a commotion just before the two gangs started shooting at each other. “People were running for cover everywhere,” he said. Mr Somsanuk said he saw police chase two men down a shopping soi. “They caught them both and took them away on the back of a police truck,” he said.

(Phuket Gazette)



Another boost for tourism in Phuket!

Well, the police tried to do their jobs, I hope that they will not allow the people to "pay" their way out...
Seize the land and sell it in an auction... That should clear all problems...

Thais are off the charts if anything gets between them and their money!

I think that Thailand is dying as a popular tourist destination...

A developing developed country i once was told

Yeah it is comical how advanced they believe themselves to be....

Thai way or the wrong way... (only for the rich it is my way or the wrong way)!

[UPDATE] Kathu Police have identified the man who died in a wild west style gunfightthat broke out at Patong Beach on Tuesday as 24-year-old Daruwat Burintarakot, nephew of the late Jintana Plaza heiress Komkai Kositkoon who was murdered in July last year.

Police have also released the names of the three men injured in the shootout, during which dozens of shots were fired and tourists along the busy road dove for cover.

They are former Police Captain Sunan Potsawatpairoj, 62, who was shot twice in the leg, Imron Yeebu, 35, who was shot in the chin, and Aod Ketkaew, 29, who was shot in the leg.

Police said the gunfight started in the burned out Jintana Shopping Plaza, which has been damaged by arson attacks at least five times in the past two years.

A police spokesman said it appeared Mr Daruwat, Mr Aod and a team of demolition workers had gone to the site intending to demolish the remains of the building.

Site caretaker Capt Sunan objected and an argument broke out, police said.

Capt Sunan then reportedly produced a pistol and shot Mr Danuwat and Mr Aod, sparking the gunfight.

A police spokesman said there was a long-running dispute regarding ownership of the Jintana Plaza land.

Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonark said police recovered a number of bullets and spent cartridges from the scene.

Mr Daruwat’s widow and other family members went to Kathu Police Station yesterday morning to discuss the shootings with police investigators.

All three men who sustained gunshot wounds remain in Bangkok Phuket Hospital and have yet to be questioned by police, a source at the hospital told the Gazette this morning.

(Phuket Gazette)