Pattaya —
A 39-year-old Thai man shot himself in the head after a tense two-hour standoff with police on Pattaya’s Soi Xcite. He later passed away at a hospital.
Around 9:06 PM on September 28th, Pattaya police were notified of a man walking around with a gun on Soi Chaloem Phrakiat 25 (Soi Xcite) in Pattaya. The police mobilized over 30 officers before immediately heading to the scene. The incident caused alerts and major concern on social media with police later roping off and securing the area.
Upon arrival, officers encountered a chaotic scene as both Thai and foreign tourists panicked and ran for safety. The police quickly cordoned off the area and evacuated civilians.
The suspect, identified as Mr. Nirut Yaempuang, a 39-year-old waiter at an unidentified entertainment venue on Third Road, was found waving a firearm. Police attempted to negotiate with him, but he only responded by saying he would take his own life.
Mr. Wanchai (last name withheld upon request), a 46-year-old coworker of the suspect, told police that Mr. Nirut did not intend to harm anyone but feared being arrested due to an alleged arrest warrant for murder and attempted murder. Mr. Wanchai explained that Mr. Nirut had also recently been involved in a dispute with local motorcycle taxi drivers, and the stress from that unresolved conflict, combined with his fear of losing his job, pushed him to this extreme behavior.
Despite the police spending hours negotiating and trying to persuade the suspect to peacefully turn himself in, Mr. Nirut showed no signs of surrendering and continued pacing around with the firearm.
By 10:36 PM, officers offered him beer in an attempt to get closer and tackle him. However, around 11:00 PM, Mr. Nirut suddenly put the gun to his right temple and fired a shot while sitting and drinking the beer.
He collapsed in a pool of blood, critically wounded. The rescue team, which had been on standby, immediately administered CPR before rushing him to a local hospital.
Police collected a modified .32 blank gun used in the incident as evidence.
Mr. Pattipol (last name withheld upon request), 20, claimed to reporters that he had been approached by Mr. Nirut earlier in the day.
Mr. Nirut honked and lowered his window as if to ask for directions. When Mr. Pattipol walked over, Mr. Nirut suddenly shouted profanities, accusing him of looking for trouble. Mr. Pattipol politely denied it and tried to explain that he had only approached to help.
According to Mr. Pattipol’s statement, Mr. Nirut then drew a firearm and pointed it at him, but luckily, bystanders intervened before the situation worsened. Mr. Pattipol stated that he had never met Mr. Nirut before and had no prior issues with him.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident and are working to confirm the details of the alleged arrest warrants against Mr. Nirut. Meanwhile, Mr. Nirut has been pronounced dead at the hospital today, September 29th.
If you or someone you know is feeling depressed please reach out for help. The Pattaya News suggests the Samaritans of Thailand which can be reached here:
https://www.facebook.com/Samaritans.Thailand/
