A man from Chanthaburi was shot with a bullet entering his eye socket and died inside a pickup truck near a mangrove forest in Trat. Police have identified two possible motives for the murder and are hunting the suspect for prosecution.
At 09:40 a.m. on 24 February 2026, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chukiat Phukabloy, Commander of Trat Provincial Police, together with the superintendent of Muang Trat Police Station and forensic officers, went to investigate a shocking incident on a road in Moo 4, Nong Kan Song Subdistrict, Muang District, Trat Province, after the 191 emergency center received a report of a shooting death inside a pickup truck.
The crime scene was on a deserted road with no houses nearby, flanked by mangrove forest and rice fields. Officers found a parked Isuzu pickup truck with Chanthaburi license plates, its engine still running. Upon inspection, both side mirrors were folded in, and there were bullet holes piercing through the driver's side window, which caused the man inside to die instantly. The victim was later identified as Mr. Tattana Boonui, a resident of Chanthaburi Province.
Initially, police collected detailed forensic evidence around the vehicle and interviewed nearby residents to gather clues about the incident.
Information indicates the victim had traveled from Chanthaburi Province the previous day, arriving in Trat in the late morning. His family was still able to contact him at noon before discovering he had been shot dead in the vehicle the next morning.
Mr. Chen, 45, a fisherman, said he saw the vehicle parked around 3:00 p.m. on 23 February but paid it no attention until later learning the man had been shot dead.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Chukiat Phukabloy, Commander of Trat Provincial Police, stated that the victim, estimated to be 40-50 years old, was shot in the right eye socket and found dead inside the vehicle. Relatives reported that he came to collect speaker payments in Nong Kan Song Subdistrict, Muang District, Trat Province. Police are focusing on two possible motives: debt collection related to speakers and robbery, as the victim was carrying valuables including 5 baht worth of gold and approximately 100,000 baht in cash. Investigators have been ordered to gather intelligence and track down the perpetrator to proceed with legal action.