In brief
A former Nonthaburi MP reportedly shot former police officer Thongchai Yenprasert and subsequently called a political commentator on YouTube to admit the act. The confrontation stemmed from a personal dispute that escalated with gunfire. Authorities have arrested the MP, who now seeks to explain the incident at a police station. The shooting adds to the mounting pressure on Thailand to strengthen gun‑control measures following a recent school massacre.
A former Thai MP allegedly shot dead a local official in the southern province of Nonthaburi and then livestreams his confession on YouTube.
Chalong Reawraeng, who served as a member of parliament for Nonthaburi, told political commentator Anchalee Paireerak – live on a YouTube stream – that he had fired a gun at former police official Thongchai Yenprasert outside Thongchai’s office.
He was angry at me, but I didn’t intend to shoot him. When his driver pointed a gun at me, I fired.
Thongchai, a retired police colonel and president of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation, died after being hit in the neck. The incident also left Thongchai’s driver wounded in the arm and hand.
After the shooting, Chalong was detained but later permitted to hold a press conference at a police station, where he recounted the event while smoking a cigarette. He said the dispute began when Thongchai allegedly pushed him and refused to have a conversation.
The incident arrives just three days after a 14‑year‑old boy killed seven people at his school and home before taking his own life, Thailand’s worst mass shooting since 2022. The most recent gun‑fire will likely intensify discussion over Thailand’s policy on firearms, which already have the highest rate of ownership in Southeast Asia.
Following the school tragedy, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered stricter enforcement of gun laws, including police checkpoints and tighter controls on possession and use of firearms.
