A 50-year-old man shot and killed a villager in Phang Nga Province. The suspect remains at large, and district officials have ordered the immediate closure of four local schools.
At 08:20 on 20 Feb 2026 GMT+7, police at Kuraburi Police Station received a report of a shooting in Ban Bang Wa, Village No. 9, Kura Subdistrict, Kuraburi District, Phang Nga. At the scene was the home of Mr. Haleem Tokmad, 64, who had been shot in the head. His family took him to the hospital, where he later died.
The suspect was identified as Mr. Prapat Boonsen, 50, also known as Lon. After the shooting, he fled on a motorcycle.
Reviewing CCTV footage at the scene showed that earlier this morning, Mr. Prapat walked to the front of the house, only five meters from where he had parked his motorcycle. He stood behind the victim's pickup truck and aimed at him, firing three shots. The victim's wife was at the scene holding their grandchild; upon hearing the gunfire, she quickly fled with the child. Two neighbors then ran to the scene to assist.
By 09:30, the local defense volunteers and Kuraburi district officials were pursuing the suspect, who reportedly rode his motorcycle to fire one shot at the assistant village headman's house, then returned home and fired six shots into the air. He then rode on to shoot once at a friend's house, but no one was injured as everyone had taken cover. None of those targeted had any known conflicts with him. Community members believe the suspect may have lost his mind or was under stress, as no one spoke to him due to his hot temper and possession of weapons.
Afterwards, Mr. Prapat fled on his motorcycle. The local defense volunteers and district officials tracked the suspect until they found his Phuket-registered motorcycle abandoned near the forest edge on the way up Khao Nui, near Ao Koi, Kuraburi District, Phang Nga, about five kilometers from the shooting scene. Authorities seized the motorcycle.
Further searches led officials to a makeshift shelter on Khao Nui where the suspect was known to have stayed. Upon arrival, the suspect was gone, and others were living there. Authorities searched and found an unregistered firearm, which was confiscated. The search for the suspect continues.
Due to this incident, the district authorities ordered an immediate one-day closure of four schools in Kuraburi District, Phang Nga, for safety reasons.
Updates on the case will be reported as they become available.