One suspect has been arrested in the shooting of the "palm plantation owner" in Krabi. He acted as the driver of the tricycle cart and claimed that another friend was the shooter. After the incident, the gun was left in his care before the shooter fled. Meanwhile, a witness recounted the events of that night.
In the case of the shooting of Mr. Chalermchai Kwanbusabong, 49, a palm plantation worker who died in his pickup truck along the Southern Seaboard Road heading into Krabi Province, near Moo 8, Ki Ri Wong Subdistrict, Plai Phraya District, shortly after midnight on 29 Apr 2026, villagers found the body the next morning. Preliminary investigations suggest the motive may have been related to palm theft, as previously reported.
The latest update on 30 Apr 2026, investigators from Plai Phraya Police Station questioned villagers who witnessed the incident. Police have identified two suspects, both using a tricycle cart as transportation. One suspect, Mr. Surawong, also known as Aeng, 30, who drove the vehicle, was arrested along with the short shotgun used in the shooting. The shooter, named Mr. Pad, remains at large. Authorities are preparing evidence to request a court warrant for his arrest. Both suspects live near the crime scene.
In initial questioning, Mr. Aeng confessed to accompanying the shooter. The shooter had invited him to transport palm fruit, but they encountered the victim, resulting in the shooting. He claimed he was unaware of the plan. Afterward, the shooter left the gun with him before they separated and fled. Police have charged them with illegal possession of firearms and joint murder.
Regarding the motive, investigators learned that the suspects had been stealing palm fruit from the victim's plantation. On the night of the incident, the victim was hiding to catch the thieves and spotted the suspects arriving together on a tricycle cart. He pursued them in his pickup truck, catching up at the crime scene, where the shooting occurred.
A witness at the scene said that while riding out to collect palm fruit left in the plantation, they noticed the suspects' tricycle cart parked on the road. One man, believed to be the shooter, stood on the road while another sat on the tricycle. Nearby, the victim's pickup truck was also parked. The witness then heard one gunshot, initially mistaking it for a tire bursting, so did not investigate further. The next morning, upon learning someone had been shot, the witness went to the scene and saw the pickup truck they had seen the night before.
Meanwhile, CCTV near the crime scene recorded the victim's pickup truck entering a nearby alley at 00:52 on 29 Apr 2026, apparently chasing the suspects' tricycle cart before turning back. At 01:10, the tricycle cart carrying the two suspects was recorded passing the camera toward the crime scene, followed by another camera capturing the sound of gunfire.