A 33-year-old man shot a fruit trader in Chanthaburi, killing him in his pickup truck, then stole 5 baht of gold to sell at a gold shop. He threw the gun and mobile phone into the water and confessed that the motive was personal debt.
The case involved a suspect shooting Mr. Tasan Boonyui, a Chanthaburi fruit trader, fatally with a bullet to the eye socket inside his pickup truck near a mangrove forest in Mueang District, Trat Province. Police set two possible motives for the murder and pursued the suspect. Authorities inspected the crime scene on the morning of 24 Feb 2024 GMT+7, as previously reported.
In the latest development at 21:00 on 24 Feb 2024 GMT+7, police detained a 33-year-old man suspected of shooting Mr. Tasan, the Chanthaburi fruit trader, dead in his pickup. The suspect was taken to identify the crime scene and assist in recovering evidence nearby.
Following the incident, the victim's belongings were missing, including a 5-baht gold necklace and a mobile phone. The suspect confessed to acting alone, citing personal debt conflicts and denying any connection to drugs.
The suspect stated that before the incident, he was riding in the vehicle with the victim and they argued about debts. Having brought a .38 caliber gun in advance, he used it to shoot the victim, then threw the phone about 50 meters from the scene into the water and discarded the gun in a canal approximately 200–300 meters away.
He then stole the victim's gold necklace and sold it. His wife, whom he had been dating for about two months, took the gold to a gold shop. She was unaware of the origin of the item.
Investigators traced the gold being sold at a gold shop in Trat town. The investigation team then detained the suspect’s wife near the Trat provincial governor’s residence. This led to the arrest of the perpetrator. Both were separately interrogated before the suspect confessed that the shooting was to settle debts owed to the victim and admitted stealing the gold to sell.
After the suspect fully confessed, he was held for questioning at Mueang Trat Police Station. Authorities prepared to coordinate rescue teams to search for the gun and other evidence. Police Major General Chookiat Phukabploy, Commander of Trat Provincial Police, has not ruled out other motives and awaits a detailed interrogation of the suspect.
In the latest update this morning (25 Feb 2024 GMT+7), police brought the suspect to indicate the spot where he disposed of the gun in the water to support the case file. Officers successfully recovered the firearm, an important piece of evidence.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tasan’s family came to collect his body with deep sorrow, then transported it for religious funeral rites at Wat Pa Klong Kung in Mueang District, Chanthaburi Province.
After receiving the body, relatives invited monks to perform a ritual to call back the spirit at the crime scene, preparing savory and sweet food as part of the belief to welcome the spirit home, amidst a somber atmosphere.
The victim’s family said they have no further suspicions and believe the cause was debt-related. The suspect had previously taken a sound system without payment, prompting the victim to confront him, leading to an argument that ended with the fatal shooting.