A former member of parliament was taken into custody following a fatal shooting inside a local government building in Nonthaburi province, marking the second high-profile violent incident in the region within three days.
The attack resulted in the death of 71-year-old Thongchai Yenprasert, a former police colonel serving as the chairman of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation.
Law enforcement officials reported that the suspect, former politician Chalong Riewrang, opened fire following a financial dispute. The victim sustained a critical wound to the neck and succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a nearby hospital, while his personal driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries to his arm and hand.
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Police statements indicate the confrontation stemmed from a personal conflict regarding borrowed funds. Following the incident, the suspect contacted an online political channel via phone to discuss the altercation before being taken into custody by authorities. Investigating officers continue to examine the exact sequence of events leading up to the gunfire.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed that legal proceedings against the suspect would proceed fully without administrative exception. The incident follows a separate mass shooting at a high school in the same province days earlier, which led government officials to propose enhanced security protocols across educational institutions and broader restrictions on public firearm possession.
