BANGKOK, Thailand — Authorities have arrested Songkran Panpu, 37, in connection with the fatal shooting of a driver on a Bangkok expressway. Panpu was apprehended on Koh Chang, where he had fled following the incident, along with another man who allegedly assisted in his escape.
The shooting occurred on Tuesday morning near the Pracha Chuen toll plaza in Bang Sue district. Police believe the incident stemmed from a road conflict about 500 meters before the plaza, when a Toyota Vellfire van cut in front of the victim’s vehicle.
The victim, Anuwat Yatniyom, 34, was shot twice in his car shortly after paying the toll. One bullet struck his right arm and the other his neck, causing fatal bleeding. Investigators confirmed that a 9mm pistol was used in the shooting.
After the attack, Panpu fled the scene, abandoning his van at a hotel in Nakhon Pathom Province. Police tracked him after learning he had hired a taxi to travel to Chon Buri, his home province, before eventually fleeing to Koh Chang.
The victim’s mother, speaking through tears, condemned the road rage that led to her son’s death, noting that he had recently started a family.
Bangkok police continue to investigate and have taken Panpu into custody for further questioning.
