Connect with us

Crime

Survivor Recounts Mass Shooting at Daycare Centre in Thailand, 37 Dead, Including 20 Children

Published

2 years ago

on

Mass Shooting at Daycare Centre in Thailand

A teacher who survived Thursday’s mass shooting at a child development centre in eastern Thailand by a former police officer described how the shooter’s empty magazine allowed them to escape.

The instructor related how Panya Khamrab began shooting as soon as he arrived at the centre in tambon Uthai Sawan in the district of Na Klang in Lamphu Province.

The disgraced former police corporal reportedly fired four to five rounds at teachers having lunch in front of the facility before entering the building.

She said they begged for their lives before the shooter and could only escape when his magazine ran dry. The instructor joined a colleague in a nearby room, which they locked before exiting through a window.

Unfortunately, according to the teacher, children between the ages of two and four were sleeping in multiple rooms, and the staff could not protect all of them.

The center’s acting director, Nanthicha Punchum, described terrifying scenes as the attacker entered the building.

“Some staff were eating lunch outside the nursery when the attacker parked his car and opened fire, killing four of them,” she told the Bangkok Post.

“The assailant kicked the door with his leg before entering and slashed the children’s heads with a knife.”

A video taken after the shooting revealed distraught parents weeping in a shelter outside the centre, a single-story, garden-surrounded yellow building.

UNICEF

The death toll at 37, with over 20 shooting victims being young children.

A police investigation revealed that a background check on the shooter revealed that he had a history of drug addiction and a violent temper.

According to reports, fellow officers avoided him and had several instances of subordination, including assaulting a police officer who attempted to discipline him.

There were also reports of him discharging his weapon while intoxicated, threatening a bank manager with his gun, and shooting a civilian’s dog, an incident that required mediation by another officer.

According to 31-year-old witness Paweena Purichan, the assailant was well-known in the area as a drug addict.

Under Thailand’s Crime Victims Compensation Act, according to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, the families of those killed in the shooting will each receive 30,000 baht for their deaths, 20,000 baht for funeral expenses, up to 30,000 baht for loss of nurturing, and 30,000 baht for other damages, for a total of 110,000 baht.

Medical assistance of up to 40,000 baht, physical and mental rehabilitation of up to 20,000 baht and compensation for lost wages and other related damages of up to 30,000 baht will be provided to those injured in the spree.

Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, a former candidate for governor of Bangkok from the opposition Move Forward Party, referenced the 2020 shooting spree involving a soldier in Nakhon Ratchasima in a tweet he published on Thursday.

Mr. Wiroj wrote that the failure to effectively address mental health issues in police and military ranks had put all Thai citizens at risk from those entrusted with firearms.

UNICEF Condemns shooting in Thailand

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a statement condemning Thursday’s mass shooting in Thailand.

UNICEF stated that it is “devastated” and “stunned” by the attack and condemns all forms of violence against children.

The statement reads, “No child should be the target or witness of violence anywhere, at any time.” Early childhood development facilities, schools, and all other learning spaces must be safe havens for young children to learn, play, and develop during their formative years.

Out of respect for the family’s grief, UNICEF also extended condolences to the victims’ families and urged the public and the media to refrain from sharing photos related to the attack.

Using the Thai hashtag “Mass Shooting in Nong Bua Lam Phu,” numerous Thais took to social media to condemn the attack and express their condolences to the victims’ families.

World leaders have also expressed their shock at the attack.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss tweeted, “I am appalled to hear about this morning’s horrific events in Thailand. My thoughts are with the affected individuals and the first responders. The United Kingdom stands with the Thai people during this tragic time.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tweeted, “It’s impossible to comprehend the heartbreak of this horrific news from Thailand. All Australians send their love and condolences.”

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Tanee Sangrat, tweeted, “My deep condolences to the families of the young victims of the shooting in Nong Bua Lam Phu province, north-eastern Thailand. Such an unusual and saddening incident in our country.”

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt posted a message on his Facebook and Twitter: “Losing your children is the harshest tragedy for all parents. I would like to offer my condolences to all victims’ families, and I would like to encourage everyone to get through this horrific tragedy”.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Crime

Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested for Running Scam Call Center

Published

4 months ago

on

July 20, 2024

By

Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested

Police in Northern Thailand have arrested a fellow officer as he was being ordained at a temple in Ngao district of neighbouring Lampang province.

Pol Lt Col Bandit Khonkan chief inspector from the Hang Dong police station was disrobed and taken to the Chang Puak station in Chiang Mai. He was arrested on charges of running a call centre scam gang in Chiang Mai Province.

According to Thai Media Chiang Mai Provincial Police Region 5 obtained an arrest warrant for Pol Lt Col Bandit on Friday from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court for procuring illegal telecom equipment, setting up a station and using public airwaves to run a telecommunications business without permission.

Pol Lt Col Bandit reportedly told investigators that he was not the ringleader and was only a member of the gang with Chinese partners.

His arrest followed the apprehension of his 26-year-old daughter, Miss Wanuchapond, 26, and three others during raids at three housing projects in Chiang Mai on Friday, Pol Maj Gen Weerachon Boontawee, deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 5 told Thai media.

During the raids police police discovered around 12 GSM gateways, or SIM boxes, which are devices used for converting cellular networks into mobile phone numbers used domestically.

The chief inspectors daughter Miss Wanuchapond told the arresting officers that she was paid 8,000 baht a month at each of the three locations for renting thr rooms and monitoring devices.

She claimed she had no idea what the devices were and accepted the job because the pay was attractive.

Police investigators working with telecom regulators used a special tracking device to monitor the gang’s communications and learned that its base was in Myanmar opposite Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.

The call center gang used the GSM gateways to make calls over the internet to scam people in Thailand out of million of baht.

The GSM gateways transmitting signals via SIM boxes to convert them into domestic phone numbers, duping victims into thinking they were being called from Thai government agencies.

Pol Maj Gen Weerachon said that each SIM box held 32 SIM cards, with a capacity of up to 300,000 calls a month. The seized devices had made fraudulent calls over 3.6 million times.

He said the their investigation is ongoing and they are working to track down the remaining conspirators, including Chinese and other Thai suspects.

Authorities are still deciding whether Pol Lt Col Bandit will be dismissed from the force, he said, adding that so far, no other officers are known to have been involved.

Police in Chiang Rai Launch Crackdown on Cyber Criminals in Golden Triangle

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has authorized the establishment of an emergency cyber center operated by the Royal Thai Police to combat transnational crimes committed by call center gangs along the Thai border in Chiang Rai province.

On July 19, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin directed the Center to combat information technology crimes. The Royal Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) will crack down on call center gangs in Myanmar, Laos, and along the border.

His directive comes as call center gangs ratchet up their scams to defraud people of their money, causing concern among Thais and jeopardizing the country’s economic and social stability.

Related Police News:

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/

Continue Reading

Crime

Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourists Over Home Invasions

Published

4 months ago

on

July 20, 2024

By

Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourist

Immigration police officers have arrested four Colombian nationals in connection with a series of home burglaries at luxury housing complexes in the Bangkok metropolitan area and Chiang Buri Province.

Pol Maj Gen Panthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told a press briefing that three of the suspects were apprehended in Nonthaburi Province and the fourth in South Pattaya, Chon Buri Province.

According to the Bangkok Post, the Colombians were charged with stealing conspiracy and seized around 3 million baht (US$82,500.00).

According to Pol Maj Gen Panthana, the criminals rode motorcycles through housing estates, scoping out the properties and waiting for the owners to depart before committing their crimes.

He stated that all four of the accused denied any involvement in the home break-ins, but the arresting squad discovered evidence that implicated them.

Police called to home invasion

Meanwhile, police were dispatched to a luxury housing development in Tambon Nong Prue, Chonburi Province, after a Chinese man was attacked during a house invasion.

When they arrived, they discovered the house owner, Mr. Qian Peng Yi, visibly scared and with marks from being tied up with a cable. He informed police that three Chinese males broke into his home at 9 p.m., one of whom brandished a gun at him and directed him to his bedroom.

They bound his hands and feet, gagged him with fabric, taped his head, and forced him into the bed. The intruders then attempted to compel him into transferring 10 million baht in cryptocurrencies to them, endangering the life of his 33-year-old cousin who was in a second-floor bedroom.

While they scoured the house in search of riches, Mr. Peng Yi managed to flee and hide; he subsequently observed them leave with his cousin. Officials investigated the property and analyzed security camera footage from the incident and surrounding areas.

Around 9 p.m., a 30-year-old van driver came at the Bang Lamung police station after being contacted by an agency to carry Chinese customers from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The driver informed authorities that he was supposed to pick them up at a motel about a kilometer from the Chinese businessman’s home. He then drove them to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, arriving at 1 a.m. and receiving 1,800 baht.

The driver took a snapshot of the group smoking at the airport gate and identified one of them as the victim’s cousin. Police suspected coordination between her and the three suspects in her cousin’s heist, who all departed Thailand on the same aircraft.

Other Bangkok News:

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

 

Continue Reading

Crime

Son of Thailand’s Leading Legal Scholar on Corruption Arrested for Running Online Gambling Network

Published

4 months ago

on

July 17, 2024

By

thailand, gambling network

The son of a former senator and leading economist and expert on corruption and gambling in Thailand has been arrested for on charges of running an online gambling network and its payment system.

Police from Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) have confiscated assets worth more than (US$ 11.1 million) 400 million baht.

Narote Piriyarangsan, 33, was arrested following crackdowns in three sites around the city, according to Pol Maj Gen Athip Pongsiwapai, commander of the police Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).

Mr Narote’s father, Sangsit Piriyarangsan, is an economist who has written articles and books about corruption and gambling. He was one of the appointed senators that were investigating the government’s intention to legalize casino gaming before their terms expired.

Police also detained 39-year-old Narayut Narakaew, the owner of the gambling website 69pgslot.com. The Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the couple for operating an internet gambling service and money laundering.

According to the Bangkok Post, police seized two desktop computers, one laptop computer, 14 mobile phones, 21 bank passbooks, 53 ATM cards, and four high-end cars — a Ferrari 926 GTS, an Aston Martin, a Lexus, and a Subaru — totaling more than 400 million baht.

Police launched the inquiry after discovering the online gambling site, which accepted funds via an automatic deposit-withdrawal system through bank accounts and deposits in the AskMePay system. Players scanned the VPay QR code as well as the QR codes for Heng Online 888 or Heng Pay Company.

Police also discovered that payments received via QR code scans were transferred to the account of Heng Pay Co and then to the gambling website’s mule accounts using AskMePay, which did not use banks’ face recognition scanning. An inquiry indicated a monthly turnover of approximately 5 billion baht.

According to investigators, the website has been up and running for around four years, with the payment mechanism in use for roughly eight months.

According to Pol Maj Gen Athip, Mr Narote owns the gaming website’s payment systems and is the director of Heng Pay Co. After gathering evidence, authorities requested arrest warrants for 14 people.

Thailand does not allow almost any kind of gaming. Even though the law doesn’t say anything specific about online gaming, it is still considered gambling. The country has pretty strict rules about gambling. Thai punters can bet on the national lottery and horse races, but they can’t bet on any other types of games.

But it’s not a secret that there is a huge illegal gaming business in Thailand, even though it’s illegal.

The illegal casinos, online betting shops, underground lotteries, and pop-up bookies that take bets on everything from cockfights to Muay Thai make a shadow economy that is worth billions of dollars every year.

Related News:

Thailand’s Cyber Crime Police Raid Top Cops Home Over Gambling Websites

Thailand’s Cyber Crime Police Raid Top Cops Home Over Gambling Websites

Continue Reading

Trending