Northern Region Police deploy a joint investigation unit to pursue gunmen who fatally shot the director of a Chinese school on Doi Mae Fah Luang. The probe focuses on past conflicts related to illegal businesses, with plans to question those close to the deceased to gather more information about the case.Tags: [police investigation, shooting, Chiang Rai, illegal business conflict, school director, crime]
On 30 October 2016, two assailants wearing helmets to conceal their faces shot Mr. Sirisit Ratiphatkul, director of Fuqing School, a Chinese language school in Ban Huay Sing, Village 27, Mae Salong Nai Subdistrict, Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang Rai Province, resulting in his death. Earlier, the Chiang Rai Provincial Police Investigation Division joined forces with the Mae Fah Luang Police investigation team to examine CCTV footage along the suspected routes used by the perpetrators for the attack and escape. They are also awaiting forensic results on 9mm bullet casings from the Forensic Science Center 5 in Lampang Province to use as evidence in the case file.Tags: [shooting incident, Chiang Rai police, CCTV investigation, forensic analysis, crime scene]
On 1 November 2016, Police Lieutenant General Prachya Prasansuk, Commander of Provincial Police Region 5; Police Major General Songkrich Ontakrai, Chief of Chiang Rai Provincial Police; and Police Colonel Sorchai Kanjanrujiwat, Chief of Mae Fah Luang Police Station, ordered the investigative teams from Region 5, Chiang Rai Provincial Police, and Mae Fah Luang Police Station to expedite solving the case. The investigation focuses on reviewing CCTV footage from various locations the suspects might have passed before and after the crime to identify suspicious individuals and related vehicles. However, initial findings have yet to determine the suspects’ physical descriptions or the type of vehicle used in their escape.Tags: [police command, investigation, CCTV review, suspect identification, vehicle tracing]
Regarding the motive, although no clear conclusion has been reached, local sources report that the deceased had a history involving drug-related crimes over 20 years ago and was sentenced to life imprisonment before being pardoned and released in 2019. Additionally, there were conflicts between the deceased and his younger brother, who managed their business network during the director's imprisonment. Reports indicate the deceased was once a suspect in kidnapping his brother for a 30 million baht ransom. After this incident, the brother fled to the Tachilek area in Myanmar. Moreover, in May 2015, the deceased survived an assassination attempt involving military-grade weapons that damaged his vehicle.Tags: [motive, past criminal record, family conflict, kidnapping case, assassination attempt]
Based on this information, some locals speculate that the case may be linked to past betrayals or conflicts within illegal businesses, especially drug networks and sibling rivalries. Today, the investigative team plans to summon the deceased’s son, wife, and close associates for questioning to verify information and advance the search for the perpetrators.Tags: [local speculation, illegal business conflict, drug networks, family disputes, police interrogation]