Off-duty police officer shoots 2 dead over $4 taxi fare in Bangkok

An off-duty Thai border police officer allegedly shot dead two motorcycle taxi riders and wounded a third in Bangkok early on June 14, after a late-night argument over a fare of less than US$4 escalated into gunfire.

The shooting happened near a motorcycle taxi stand at the entrance to Soi Pracha Songkroh 38 in the city's Din Daeng District. Huai Khwang police were alerted to reports of gunfire at around 2:50 a.m., according to the Bangkok Post and Thai PBS.

Officers found 37-year-old rider Purit Mangthisan dead in his orange taxi vest, with three to four gunshot wounds that had entered through his back and exited his chest, police said.

Two other riders were hit: Kiattisak Srirat, 46, in the thigh, and Charin Khunarak, 48, in the right thigh and left hand. Both were taken to hospital, where Charin later died of his injuries, raising the death toll to two, Thai news outlets reported as the case moved to court on June 15.

Police recovered a 9mm SIG Sauer pistol and a magazine at the scene, along with spent casings and live rounds.

The confrontation began when the officer approached the stand at around 2:20 a.m. seeking a ride home to the nearby Makkasan area, police said. The riders quoted the standard fare of 120 baht (US$3.70).

He complained it was too high, offered to pay only half, and turned the ride down, prompting one rider to suggest he take a metered taxi instead, Khaosod English reported. The exchange turned into a heated argument, then a physical scuffle.

Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed two of the riders assaulting the officer, including kicking him to the ground, before he drew his pistol and fired several rounds into the group, police said.

He then fled on foot, travelled by public transport, and later turned himself in at Makkasan police station, handing over his service weapon.

The suspect was identified as Police Lance Corporal Namthap Pakwatana, 33, an officer with Thailand's Border Patrol Police. Thai media reported he had travelled from Surin Province, in the country's northeast, to Bangkok to sit a police promotion exam.

He told investigators the dispute started over the fare and that he opened fire in self-defense after being attacked first, the Bangkok Post reported.

A relative told police that Namthap had a history of mental health treatment, and Thai media reported questions over whether he had missed psychiatric medication before the shooting. The relative said the family did not believe the killings were linked to his condition and described the incident as impulsive.

Namthap faces charges of intentional murder, attempted murder, and carrying a firearm in public without permission or necessity, Thai PBS reported. The charges were filed before Charin's death was confirmed and may be revised to reflect the second fatality.

On the morning of June 15, investigators brought him before the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road to seek pretrial detention, with relatives of the victims opposing any release on bail, Thai outlets reported.

The case has gripped Thailand, with footage of the confrontation circulating widely online. It has sharpened a debate between two competing accounts: an officer who says he fired only after being kicked to the ground, and two unarmed motorcycle taxi riders shot dead in a quarrel over a few dollars.

According to Thai Examiner, Namthap's father appeared before reporters in tears, asking that the evidence be allowed to decide his son's fate. The investigation is ongoing.