A senior friend, furious after the deceased accidentally discharged a gun injuring his wife, was released on bail to attend the funeral, then opened fire, killing the deceased in the middle of the funeral at Bueang Thonglang Temple. Two others were injured, and the deceased’s two-year-old child lost both parents.
Following the harrowing incident, Lieutenant Thamchote Phanthufak, Deputy Inspector (Investigation) of Lat Phrao Police Station, received a report of a shooting in front of Pavilion 16 at Bueang Thonglang Temple, Khlong Chan Subdistrict, Bang Kapi District, Bangkok. One person was found dead and two others injured, while the suspect fled, as previously reported.Read more: Shooting erupts at “Bueang Thonglang Temple” funeral pavilion, 1 dead, 2 injured; suspect in black flees on motorcycle)
At the scene in front of Pavilion 16, the body of Mr. Phokhai, or Gear, age 27, was found lying on his back in a pool of blood wearing a black short-sleeve t-shirt and jeans. He had gunshot wounds to the torso and head. Nearby, eight 9mm shell casings were collected as evidence.
Additionally, two people were injured: Mr. Yothin, 26, was shot in both legs, and Mr. Usama, 26, was shot in both legs and his right arm. Good Samaritans helped transport them to a nearby hospital.
Investigation revealed that before the incident, Mr. Phokhai (the deceased) had just been granted bail by Chokchai Police Station in a case involving an accidental gunshot that fatally wounded Ms. Natthawipa, 22, on 29 July. His body was laid in Pavilion 6, adjacent to the shooting site. After paying respects, Mr. Nopparat, aka Bang Sun, 23, arrived on a blue Honda Forza motorcycle with unknown license plate, entered the temple, verbally abused the deceased, drew a firearm, and fired repeatedly before fleeing.
Mr. A (alias) said Ms. Natthawipa and Mr. Phokhai, who was shot dead, had been a couple for five years. On this day, Mr. Phokhai was out on bail to attend the funeral and seek forgiveness. He cried because it was an accidental shooting. After paying respects at the funeral pavilion, they sat outside to relax. Then a man and a woman, acquaintances of Mr. Phokhai, arrived. Though the conversation details are unclear, many friends were present—over ten people. Mr. Phokhai did not argue, but the woman with the shooter scolded him, blaming him for causing someone's death and pointed fingers. Mr. Phokhai remained seated quietly. The woman continued shouting, then the man drew a gun and fired.
I did not witness the whole event, only that multiple shots were fired, including shots aimed at the victim’s head, which I saw clearly as I was nearby. I did not know these two people but assumed they knew Mr. Phokhai. After shooting, they ran away. The shooter fired indiscriminately, injuring others as well. Initially, the shooter aimed at me, but I took cover behind a table and lay down. Many believe the shooting was motivated by anger over the accidental shooting of the wife. I do not know the real reason, as Mr. Phokhai was like any other young man who kept things private. I do not know the true cause, but attacking someone at a funeral is extremely cruel. The event hadn’t even started yet; it was the first day. The bail was set at 20,000 baht to attend the funeral, as it was known the shooting was accidental. There were three friends present.
Mr. Por (alias), a friend, said the day of the accidental shooting was 29 July 2023. That day they had been out together. His friend was hot-tempered and habitually carried a gun. When asked what happened, he learned that after returning from an outing with friends, he cleared the gun and removed the magazine, but possibly, while intoxicated, he accidentally chambered a round. He habitually tossed the gun onto the bed, and it discharged, hitting his girlfriend. The matter entered investigation. He was just recently released on bail to attend his girlfriend’s funeral. The shot likely hit the left chest. He had just retrieved his phone from the police.
At the funeral, the parents, child, and younger sibling were crying. The friends hadn’t eaten for several days. I bought them water and invited them outside to sit because it was crowded inside. Two or three friends were present who were caught in the crossfire. I sat on the far left, friends sat behind me. I was the closest and oldest in the group. We talked; they seemed subdued, almost ready to cry. I told them, “It’s done now; there’s nothing we can do. You’re the only one left and have to raise the child.”
Suddenly, the shooter and his girlfriend walked in. At first, they were chatting normally, but then his girlfriend started yelling. She was close to the deceased and scolded him, asking why he wasn’t in jail. I told her it was a legal matter; the police are investigating. Bail was granted so he could see his wife’s face because it was exhausting to deal with such issues. They then left. After a while, they returned and asked if he was going to jail. I replied, “How could he? The police haven’t finished investigating. Bail was for the funeral; it’s unknown if he will be jailed.” She asked, “So he’s not going to jail, right?” Then the shooter pulled out a gun and fired about seven shots, targeting one friend.
I, who was sitting next to him, had to back away as he fired and then walked away. The woman accompanying him encouraged him to shoot more. The shooter returned, aimed the gun at the victim’s head, and fired the first six shots, which only wounded but didn’t kill. The woman urged him on, and he fired again at the head. I tried to block the shot with my hand but was too late. After shooting, he fled.
I had seen them before but didn’t know them well, only acquaintances for a few months. I don’t know why he was so angry. I think they weren’t very close because I’ve known the deceased since childhood; we called each other every day. If it wasn’t anger over the friend, there probably wouldn’t have been any issue. I don’t know the full story, but there was no argument, for sure, as the friends who sat together had no problems.
At first, the shooter planned to shoot us, but an older senior stopped him, scolding him for causing trouble. I saw he carried a gun because he was known to handle guns. Shooting at a funeral is shocking. The child is only two years old and has already lost his mother. No one considered how the child will grow up. The family’s pillar is gone. I don’t know if the deceased’s parents, who are older, can support their grandchild.