A controversy arose over a Lampang teenager riding a motorcycle with a loud exhaust who tried to stop a senior's bike outside a home in Mae Mo. Heading late at night to find a gas station, he panicked and fled recklessly upon seeing police motorcycle pursuit, fearing arrest over the loud exhaust. He was shot twice and injured, prompting broad criticism and discussion among netizens.
At 22:30 on 24 March 2026, police from Mueang Lampang Police Station received a report of a shooting on Wachirawut Damnoen Road, before the Doi Phrabat area, Phra Bat Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lampang Province. Officers, rescue teams, and patrol police rushed to the scene.
At the scene, officials found a 14-year-old boy named A (alias) from Mae Mo District, Lampang, sitting astride a red Honda Wave 100 motorcycle near the central median guardrail. The motorcycle faced against traffic. Preliminary checks showed he was shot once in the left arm crease by an unknown caliber firearm. Blood flowed heavily, staining the motorcycle and dripping over 30 meters along the road. Rescue workers provided first aid and rushed him to Lampang Hospital. The boy is now out of danger. Officials took photos as evidence, impounded the motorcycle at Mueang Lampang Police Station, and will investigate the cause and identify who fired the shots.
Reporters obtained a mobile phone video recorded by a bystander during the incident. The clip shows the injured boy still seated on the motorcycle, and at one point, the recorder says, “Shot by police.”
Reports indicate the boy’s motorcycle had a modified loud exhaust, suggesting involvement in a motorcycle gang. Police have been actively cracking down on such groups.
At 10:00 on 25 March 2026, reporters visited the Phalad traffic light intersection, Phra Bat Subdistrict, Mueang District, Lampang, obtaining CCTV footage. The footage shows two motorcycles passing: the first likely belonging to the injured boy’s friend, the second the injured boy’s motorcycle, followed by a pickup truck owned by a local resident, and lastly a police motorcycle pursuing the 14-year-old and his friend.
A bystander reported the 14-year-old is from Mae Mo District. Before the incident, he visited a friend’s nearby home to invite him to the city to pick up another friend finishing work.
Both rode separate motorcycles, likely modified with loud exhausts. When they reached the Phalad traffic light, police emerged from a nearby booth and began pursuing them. Startled, the boys fled, crossing the central median and riding against traffic uphill. Police chased them, firing a warning shot that missed on the downhill stretch. Near the incident site, a second shot struck the 14-year-old, causing injury.
At 11:00, reporters met B (alias), 18, a senior friend of the injured boy, who said he was heading to pick up his girlfriend in Hang Chat District but low fuel led him to call the 14-year-old to help push-start his motorcycle. They rode side by side until the police appeared at the Phalad traffic light, then fled recklessly.
CCTV shows his motorcycle first, then the injured boy’s, followed by a local pickup, and finally the police motorcycle in pursuit. Mid-hill, they crossed the old median and rode against traffic, accelerating ahead of the injured boy. Near the incident, the injured boy’s motorcycle stopped. Initially, he thought police would just catch his friend, but when police spotted him, he fled toward Rajabhat University. Running out of fuel, he abandoned the motorcycle and hid in the roadside forest about 30 minutes, then pushed his bike to a friend’s place to refuel near the airport intersection. He said he did not expect police to shoot his friend and would have helped if he had known.
He emphasized he did not carry illegal items but admitted to modifying the motorcycle and loud exhaust, fearing arrest and thus fleeing.
Meanwhile, reporters noted the incident has become a heated topic on social media, with many comments both supporting and opposing the actions involved. One comment said, “Looking at the bike, it’s an older model but with a non-original exhaust. Maybe the loud exhaust irritated someone’s ears. Anyway, wishing the boy a speedy recovery.”
Another comment stated, “Not sure what caused the shooting. Considering the time and the boy’s age of 14, if he stayed home obeying his parents, this wouldn’t have happened.”
And another said, “Regardless, the boy should not have been shot, with or without cause. Hope the shooter is caught quickly and that authorities publicly clarify the situation for Lampang residents.”