Police have arrested two more suspects involved in the fatal shooting of a volunteer taxi driver on Koh Samui. The shooter claims he was stabbed first and fired back in self-defense. Meanwhile, the alleged instigator revealed the conflict's cause but refused to reenact the crime scene, and one suspect remains at large.
A brutal incident occurred when a group of assailants attacked a volunteer taxi driver, Mr. Sikharin, or 'First' Promcharoen, aged 30, and fatally shot him in the tourist area of Chaweng Beach, Bo Phut subdistrict, Koh Samui district, Surat Thani province, at 01:20 on the night of 24 May 2026.
The latest update on 1 June 2026, under the direction of Pol. Maj. Gen. Suwat Suksri, Chief of Surat Thani Provincial Police, and Pol. Col. Kan Chawit Pho Prasit, Superintendent of Bo Phut Police Station, Koh Samui, assigned Pol. Lt. Col. Charoen Koetkaew, Deputy Superintendent of Crime Suppression, and other officers to gather evidence from CCTV footage and eyewitnesses. They secured warrants from Koh Samui Provincial Court to arrest 12 suspects involved, charged with premeditated murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, carrying firearms in public without permission, and reckless discharge of explosives in populated areas.
Police have already arrested nine suspects caught on CCTV, all participants in the incident. The investigation led to their detention at Koh Samui Provincial Court on 31 May 2026, where bail was denied.
Authorities continue to pursue three suspects still at large: Mr. Sahaphon or Sin, Mr. Prakasit or Bank, and Mr. Champ. Reports indicate all three have left Koh Samui.
On the night of 31 May 2026, Pol. Col. Phitsanu Phuangprom, Deputy Commander of Region 8 Crime Suppression, and investigators raided a house in Makham Tia subdistrict, Mueang district, Surat Thani province, arresting Mr. Prakasit or Bank, a key suspect and the 11 mm firearm shooter who fired five shots at Mr. First's torso before fleeing.
At the same time, Mr. Sahaphon or Sin, another key suspect, surrendered to police at Ban Na San Police Station, Surat Thani. Police planned to transfer both suspects to Bo Phut Police Station for prosecution and to conduct a reenactment of their confessions.
Meanwhile, Mr. Thawatchai or Champ, still evading arrest, has contacted police expressing his intention to surrender as well.
Upon questioning, Mr. Sin and Mr. Bank revealed the conflict began over a parking dispute. Mr. Sin managed the private parking lot where Mr. Boy, the brother-in-law of the victim, leased parking space but parked disorderly, causing disputes. Mr. Boy informed his family, including Mr. First, the victim and his elder brother-in-law.
Mr. Sin claimed Mr. First brought friends to aggressively confront him two to three times and posted challenging messages on Facebook. This led Mr. Sin and his friend Mr. Bank to harbor resentment and arrange a one-on-one fight, which Mr. First did not attend. A day before the incident, Mr. First brought friends to Mr. Sin’s workplace, verbally abusing him harshly. On the day of the incident, Mr. Sin admitted to knocking on Mr. First's car window to resolve the issue, but when Mr. First opened the door, a scuffle broke out.
Mr. Bank, who fired the weapon, said he usually drove for a ride-hailing app and spent time waiting at Mr. Sin's workplace, where they became close and aware of the conflict between Mr. Sin and Mr. First. He denied any personal issues with the victim. On the night of the incident, when Mr. First opened the door, a fight erupted, during which Mr. First stabbed Mr. Bank under the right rib once. Enraged, Mr. Bank shot at Mr. First, who was attempting to drive away in his taxi, as recorded by a bystander’s video, before fleeing.
Mr. Sin added that if both parties had respected boundaries and avoided provocation, the incident would not have occurred. He claimed he tried to resolve the conflict, but Mr. First refused to end it.
Both suspects apologized with hands pressed together, expressing regret for damaging Koh Samui's reputation. They insisted they were not gangsters but ordinary working people.
Initially, Mr. Bank admitted to shooting and killing Mr. First, while Mr. Sin acknowledged being present but denied causing the victim's death. Both suspects refused to participate in a reenactment of the crime scene as part of their confessions.