PHANG NGA, THAILAND – A shooting in Kuraburi district left one man dead, forced four schools to close and put security forces on high alert while the suspected gunman remained at large.
Victim dies after morning shooting
Police in Kuraburi received an emergency call at around 8:20 a.m. from Kura subdistrict, where officers found 64-year-old Halim Tohmad with a gunshot wound to the head. Rescue workers rushed him to hospital, but he died shortly after admission from his injuries.
Security camera captures fatal attack
A security camera at the victim’s home recorded crucial footage, showing 50-year-old Prapas Boonsen, known as Lon, entering the property at about 7:30 a.m. According to police, the video showed him walking to the rear of a pickup truck and firing three shots at Halim Tohmad. The suspect then fled on a motorcycle, and investigators reviewed the footage at the scene and identified Boonsen as the main suspect.
Further shots fired across the district
The incident was not isolated, as witnesses reported that Boonsen fired at the house of a local deputy village headman at around 9:30 a.m., without causing injuries. Later, he allegedly returned to his own property, fired several shots into the air and then shot at a acquaintance’s house, again without further casualties.
Witnesses describe volatile suspect
Residents described the wanted man as quick-tempered and said he regularly carried weapons. Some locals suggested he might suffer from a mental illness, although no clinical diagnosis was known at the time.
Motorcycle and weapon found in forest
Police found his motorcycle abandoned in a forested area near Khao Nuey, about five kilometres from the crime scene, where the trail disappeared in difficult terrain. Nearby, officers searched a hut known as an occasional hideout for Boonsen and seized an unregistered firearm. Authorities believed the suspect was still hiding in the region, and the search in the rugged area continued.
Four schools suspend classes
Amid uncertainty over public safety, local authorities ordered the temporary closure of the Bang Wa, Ban Triam, Ban Suan Mai and Dalis Salam schools in Kuraburi district while the suspect remained at large. Bang Wa School announced on its social media channels that the measure was intended to protect students, teachers and staff, advising parents to follow updates via the official Facebook page and internal school communication, and said classes were expected to resume on Monday if conditions allowed.
Education minister urges nationwide safety review
Education Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat responded with a call for all schools in the country to urgently review their security measures inside and outside school buildings, also citing a recent deadly incident at a school in Hat Yai district in Songkhla province.
“They should urgently review their security measures inside and outside school buildings,”
said Narumon Pinyosinwat, Education Minister.
“Schools must pay more attention to the mental health of students, update emergency plans and strengthen cooperation with parents so that risks can be identified before they escalate.”
said Narumon Pinyosinwat, Education Minister.