NONTHABURI, Thailand – A manhunt has ended with the arrest of 41-year-old Sitthipong, accused of fatally shooting his close friend, 39-year-old Weerawat, a bank employee, in a shocking act of violence in Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi. The incident occurred during the early hours of May 3 at a bar on Liap Mueang Pak Kret Road.
According to reports, the deadly confrontation took place around 1 a.m., when Sitthipong fired nearly 20 shots at Weerawat, killing him on the spot. He fled the scene in a sedan. Authorities believe the shooting followed a heated personal dispute, during which Sitthipong allegedly rammed his car into Weerawat’s vehicle before opening fire.
By 2 p.m. the same day, officers from Region 1 Police and the Doem Bang Nang Buat Police Station investigative unit tracked down and apprehended Sitthipong near a resort in Suphan Buri. The arrest was executed under warrant number 614/2568 issued by the Nonthaburi Provincial Court.
Sitthipong now faces three primary charges: premeditated murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and carrying and discharging a firearm in public without authorization. He was first taken to Doem Bang Nang Buat Police Station for booking, then transferred to Pak Kret Police Station for prosecution.
Family members of the deceased collected Weerawat’s body from the Institute of Forensic Medicine. They performed a ritual at the crime scene in Soi Tonson 15 and then transported his body to Wat Sai Yai in Sai Noi, Nonthaburi, for funeral rites.
This tragic case has drawn public attention due to the close relationship between the suspect and victim, and the intensity of violence involved.
In a similar case, a 16-year-old vocational student was fatally shot on April 16 in Phichit province while stopping his motorcycle during Songkran celebrations. The incident has left his friends and community grieving.
