Brutal Shooting at Joyous Event
Eleven former students have been jailed for life in Bangkok after being found guilty of a deadly attack at a wedding. The group, all from the Pathumwan Institute of Technology, shot and killed Natthawut Phinitmai, 23, a recent graduate, during the terrifying incident on August 14, 2022.
Three guests at the celebration suffered serious wounds as bullets tore through the crowd. The attack shocked the city and left families in tears.
Revenge Plot Uncovered
Police revealed the appalling event was no accident. Fourteen young men, both former and current students, plotted the attack as revenge. Their target: a rival from Uthenthawai Campus. The reason? One of their friends had been killed in a violent clash just a month before.
The group stormed the wedding in the Sutthisan area, firing wildly into the crowd. What should have been a happy day turned into a nightmare.
Court Hands Down Heavy Sentence
The judge, calling it a ‘deliberate and heinous’ crime, dealt the harshest punishment. At first, the eleven men were sentenced to death. But their jail terms were later reduced to life because they cooperated with the police.
They now face years behind bars—and must pay 1.6 million Baht in compensation to the victim’s grieving mother. Three others were cleared due to lack of evidence.
Heartbroken Mother Speaks Out
Rutjalak, 49, a shop worker and mother of Natthawut, thanked the police and the court for finding justice. Devastated, she insisted her son was never involved in any college feud. ‘He was just at his friend’s wedding,’ she said. ‘He never wanted trouble.’
Tearful, she urged authorities and schools to stop these campus wars before more innocent lives are lost. Her pain, shared by many, is a stark warning to end the violence for good.