Police from Phra Yuen Police Station have detained the "Deputy Inspector" and sent him to Khon Kaen Provincial Court to request custody in the case of shooting his ex-wife, who was a village headwoman, dead at a barbecue restaurant. The suspect confessed, expressed regret over being insulted, and insisted the new man she dated was said to be better than himself.
Updates on the shocking incident in Phra Yuen District, Khon Kaen Province: Police Sub-Lieutenant Chuchat, 54, Deputy Inspector of the Investigation Unit at Ban Haet Police Station, used an 11mm firearm to shoot Ms. Pattaya, 50, his ex-wife and village headwoman of Ban Ton Village, Moo 8, Ban Ton Subdistrict, Phra Yuen District, Khon Kaen Province, four times. The bullets hit her chest, killing her inside a barbecue restaurant. After the incident, he surrendered himself to the Phra Yuen Police along with the weapon used.
At 10:00 a.m. on 22 April 2026, police from Phra Yuen Police Station escorted Sub-Lieutenant Chuchat, the shooter, to board a police vehicle to be taken to Khon Kaen Provincial Court for detention proceedings. The suspect had changed into a new outfit and covered his head and face with an orange shirt while being taken from the detention room to the vehicle. Reporters asked him about that night's events; he briefly said he did not remember and was not drunk. He expressed regret over the incident but had nothing to say about his family. While police escorted him onto the vehicle, his uncle and relatives came to offer encouragement and support, urging him to be strong in line with their family name.
The uncle of Sub-Lieutenant Chuchat told reporters that the bail process would proceed according to the legal system. He said the incident had happened and would be dealt with under the law. The perpetrator had been a good person who loved his siblings, children, grandchildren, and relatives. Regarding the female family’s view of the act as violent, he considered it a natural consequence of loss; every family loves their own. The underlying conflict between the two was deep and private, and he did not want to criticize. He came to visit and support him today, saying a man must be strong after what he has done. This morning, when they first spoke, the suspect was stressed but relaxed more after talking and has accepted his situation better.
Police Colonel Chalit Morakotsriwan, Chief of Phra Yuen Police Station, revealed that the suspect confessed during questioning. After the incident, he waited at the scene to surrender to police and was the one who called them to report the shooting of his ex-wife. The investigation found the problems stemmed from family debts and personal issues after their divorce, with ongoing disputes over debts lasting years. Recently, the ex-wife was involved with another man, which the suspect knew about and asked her to stop. This led to arguments and feelings of humiliation, as the victim mocked that the new man was better than him. On the day of the incident, the suspect was not intoxicated but felt angry and acted on impulse. He expressed remorse for his actions.