Former Thai MP Kills Local Official in Daylight Shooting Over Debt

A former Thai Member of Parliament allegedly shot and killed a local government official on Monday in Nonthaburi province, on the outskirts of Bangkok, following a dispute over money. Chalong Riewrang, the ex-MP, was arrested and later confessed to the shooting outside a government building. He claimed that Thongchai Yenprasert, president of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation, refused to discuss the financial matter, and that Yenprasert's driver also produced a weapon, prompting Riewrang to fire his own gun.

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I followed him to his car and hit his car's window, saying I want to talk. He said he will not talk, so I pulled my gun.

Yenprasert died from a gunshot wound to the neck, while his driver sustained an injury to his right arm and underwent surgery. Regional police commander Wattana Yeechin stated that while Riewrang confessed to being the sole shooter, firearms were found on both sides. The dispute reportedly involved several million baht, which Yenprasert had borrowed from Riewrang years prior and had repeatedly failed to repay. The Nonthaburi governor suggested the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding between the two men, who were long-time friends.

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I did not aim to shoot, but his driver pulled a gun and pointed it at me so I fired.

This daylight shooting occurred just days after a separate incident in Nonthaburi where a 14-year-old boy killed six people at a school before taking his own life. Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the region, with an estimated 10 million firearms in circulation. Despite promises of stricter gun laws following previous shootings, the problem persists, highlighting ongoing challenges with gun control in the country.

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It was a private issue. According to his confession, it was about money that the... chairman borrowed from him for several years, and he asked for the return of the money several times.