Online users heavily criticized "Chalerm Riewrang" the former Nonthaburi MP, who sat for a media interview without being handcuffed and was smoking inside the police station.
Regarding the case of "Mr. Chalerm Riewrang," former Nonthaburi MP, who committed the act of shooting Pol. Col. Thongchai Yenprasert, the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) chief, at the PAO office located within the Nonthaburi provincial hall, it was recently reported that the Nonthaburi PAO chief has died, as previously reported.
Later, at 13:20, Mr. Chalerm explained that the motive and cause of the incident stemmed from Pol. Col. Thongchai Yenprasert borrowing 11 million baht to fund his political campaign in 2008. Chalerm said he had helped him several times as a friend and acquaintance without ever demanding repayment or expecting anything in return, never holding any grudge because he saw it as helping a friend.
When he himself faced health problems, incurring high medical expenses and losing his income, he decided to contact the other party to ask for responsibility for the borrowed money. He insisted he only wanted to talk and reach an agreement, but when he tried to discuss, an argument broke out and the other party refused to negotiate and left the room. Mr. Chalerm then followed to the car and tried to call him back to talk.
Mr. Chalerm claimed that at that moment, the PAO chief's driver drew a gun, so he decided to defend himself without intending to kill. After the incident, he said he saw the other party run away and thought the injury was not serious, so he did not pursue. He then chose to take a motorcycle taxi to surrender, apologizing to the people of Nonthaburi as well as to the PAO chief and his family.
Meanwhile, online discussions focused on "Chalerm Riewrang" smoking inside the room, with police officers not handcuffing him, leading to widespread criticism of this issue.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Watthana Yijin, Commander of the Provincial Police Region 1, revealed that the concerns about whether Mr. Chalerm received any special privileges during his explanation are unfounded, as Mr. Chalerm personally requested permission just to apologize to the victim's relatives, and his apology was made through the media only.
However, additional reports state that after the hospital confirmed the death of Pol. Col. Thongchai Yenprasert, the Nonthaburi PAO chief, the police immediately handcuffed Mr. Chalerm Riewrang.