A deputy investigation officer at a police station in Khon Kaen fired four shots at his ex-wife, who was a village headwoman, seriously wounding her before she died. He called the police and surrendered, admitting he was angry after their breakup because she mocked that her new partner took better care of her.
At 10:00 a.m. on 21 April 2026, reporters visited the scene to investigate the case where a sub-lieutenant used a firearm to shoot his wife, a village headwoman, resulting in her death. The incident occurred late the previous night. Pol. Col. Chalit Morakotsriwan, superintendent of Phra Yuen Police Station in Khon Kaen province, revealed that the police received a report via the 191 hotline at 11:30 p.m. on 20 April about a shooting at a grilled pork restaurant in Ban Ton subdistrict, Phra Yuen district, Khon Kaen. Upon receiving the report, officers went to the scene to investigate.
At the scene, it was learned that the victim was Miss Pattaya, 50 years old, also known as Village Headwoman Em, head of Ban Ton village, Village No. 8, Phra Yuen district, Khon Kaen province. She was taken to the hospital but later died.
At the crime scene, bloodstains were found along with Sub-Lieutenant Chuchart, 54, deputy investigation officer of Ban Haet Police Station in Khon Kaen, who was waiting to surrender, carrying an 11 mm handgun. Police then took him and the firearm for interrogation.
Pol. Col. Chalit said from the investigation, Sub-Lieutenant Chuchart stated that he lived as husband and wife with Miss Pattaya and they had two grown sons who were both employed. However, two years ago, they faced several million baht in debt. They agreed to a legal separation but continued living together. Their sons opened a grilled pork restaurant in Ban Ton, where the wife worked as a cashier and Sub-Lieutenant Chuchart helped manage the business.
Sub-Lieutenant Chuchart further stated that after divorcing his wife, he installed a GPS device on the car she used. The GPS signal showed the car at various resorts multiple times. When he questioned his wife, she admitted to having another man, a retired government official, who had helped pay hundreds of thousands of baht of their debts and made her happier than living with her ex-husband. This caused ongoing conflicts between the couple.
Pol. Col. Chalit added that during the investigation, Sub-Lieutenant Chuchart confessed that before the incident, after work he helped at the grilled pork restaurant as usual. However, they constantly argued and exchanged sarcastic remarks inside the shop, which made him angry. He then drew his 11 mm service pistol and shot his wife four times, causing her to collapse. He did not flee but stayed at the restaurant and called a police friend at Phra Yuen Police Station, informing him that he had shot his wife at the restaurant and requested police to come to the scene. Upon arrival, police confirmed the incident and arrested Sub-Lieutenant Chuchart with the 11 mm handgun. He was charged with murder, carrying a firearm in a public place without justification, and discharging a firearm using explosives in a community. He will be detained and brought before the Khon Kaen Provincial Court for detention on 22 April 2026.