Pattaya, Thailand – At 12:16 AM on August 8th, 2025, Pattaya City Police Station received a report of a foreign national carrying a firearm inside a convenience store located at the entrance of Soi Thepprasit 8.
Pol. Lt. Col. Siriwat Krachmas, Deputy Superintendent of Pattaya City Police, promptly informed Pol. Col. Anek Srathongyoo, the station’s Chief, and mobilized a team of investigative officers and Pattaya Tourist Police to the scene.
Upon arrival, authorities found the convenience store surrounded by a crowd of local vendors. Police quickly evacuated bystanders from the high-risk area amidst chaotic scenes and cordoned off the premises, sealing both the front and rear entrances.
After a tense two-hour standoff, officers coordinated with an interpreter to communicate with the suspect, announcing their intent to assist. The suspect, identified as Mr. Zhang Shuai, a 35-year-old Chinese national of Korean descent, emerged from the back of the store with his hands raised, surrendering peacefully after two hours.
Police apprehended Mr. Zhang and recovered a modified Glock 19 blank gun, adapted to fire .380 mm ammunition, which he had carried into the store. According to store employees, the suspect had entered the premises in a panic, claiming he was being pursued by another Chinese individual intent on harming him. Witnesses reported seeing the armed suspect flee to the back of the store while the alleged pursuer left the scene. Fearing for their safety, employees fled and alerted the police.
Pol. Col. Anek Srathongyoo personally oversaw the suspect’s detention and the seizure of the weapon. Initial investigations suggest a possible connection to call center gang activities, as the incident bears similarities to a prior case yesterday involving a Korean national escaping assault by a Chinese gang leader linked to such operations as we covered here.
Mr. Zhang is currently under interrogation to determine the motive behind the incident. Authorities have stated that further details will be released to the media at a later time.
