Pattaya —
The prime suspect in the recent shooting of a local journalist in Pattaya surrendered to authorities yesterday evening. He claimed that the incident was fueled by road rage and that it was in self-defense.
First our previous story:
A shooting incident occurred in Pattaya yesterday morning, leaving a journalist seriously injured.
Now for our update:
Kwanchai “Peck” Pantong (32), the shooter of a Pattaya-based journalist, Natthapat “Ing” Buncharee (28), surrendered himself at the Banglamung Police Station on December 13th, after hospitalizing Natthapat with a shotgun blast earlier on the same day.
The surrender came after the Pattaya Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant for him for attempted murder and firearm violations.
According to police reports, Kwanchai turned himself in around 10:30 PM after being pressured by law enforcement. Pol. Col. Navin Theeravit, chief of Pattaya Police Station, promptly dispatched an investigative team to take control of the suspect at the Pattaya Police Station.
During initial questioning, Kwanchai reportedly admitted to shooting Natthapat but claimed self-defense as the motive. He stated that while he was riding home with friends on motorbikes, he encountered Natthapat on the road. The victim allegedly cut off Kwanchai and exhibited aggression and provoked a confrontation, prompting Kwanchai, who was intoxicated at the time, to fire his short-barreled shotgun at Natthapat, according to the suspect’s claims. Despite the claims of self-defense, police pointed out that Nattapat was unarmed.
Additionally, Kwanchai denied any prior knowledge of the injured journalist or having any pre-existing conflicts with him. However, he reportedly confessed to deliberately trying to end Natthapat’s life as he shot him in the head, saying “It’s either me or him. I have experienced a similar incident like this before.”
According to police reports, the shot left over 40 shotgun pellets lodged in Natthapat’s eye socket and head. The injuries are so severe he might lose sight in one eye, police said.
The two friends accompanying Kwanchai during the incident, who were arrested earlier, are currently considered witnesses. Pattaya police subsequently took Kwanchai to retrieve the firearm he used in the incident. The suspect discarded the weapon in the grass beside a railway at the front of Soi Sretthi 1 in Pattaya. Kwanchai stated he bought the shotgun from an online black market for 3,500 Baht.
Further details about Natthapat’s condition are expected to be released as the case progresses. He is currently in need of a large amount of type A blood at Chonburi Hospital, according to his father. The Pattaya News gives its best to the friends and family of the victim for a swift recovery.
