A 24-year-old factory worker in Thailand was shot dead in front of his girlfriend after her alleged former boyfriend opened fire three times before fleeing the scene.
The shooting occurred at around 8pm on October 19 outside a factory in the Factory Land Industrial Estate, Wang Noi district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province.
The victim, identified as Thanabodi, from Kamphaeng Phet province, was waiting outside the factory on his red Honda motorcycle to pick up his 23-year-old girlfriend when the suspect allegedly arrived and shot him.
Thanabodi sustained three gunshot wounds to his right chest, side and face. Police officers and bystanders rushed to help him before he was taken to Wang Noi Hospital, where he later died.
Investigators found three bullet casings and a pool of blood at the scene. Witnesses said the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Watanyu, also known as Tee, from Ang Thong province, fled on his motorcycle immediately after the shooting.
A factory security guard told police that employees were leaving work when the victim arrived to collect his girlfriend. The suspect reportedly parked his motorcycle nearby before approaching the victim and opening fire.
The victim’s girlfriend told investigators that she had met Tee through Facebook towards the end of last year. They met in person only three or four times before she decided against pursuing a relationship and blocked him because of his extreme jealousy.
She also alleged that Tee had previously held a gun to her head while she was working at her former workplace. Frightened by the incident, she moved to another factory in an attempt to escape him.
Although she had cut off contact with Tee, she believed he was still hanging around her new workplace.
On the night of the shooting, she was walking towards her motorcycle, where Thanabodi was waiting, when Tee allegedly ambushed them and shot her boyfriend.
The woman said she had known Thanabodi through Facebook for five to six months before they began dating. He had moved from Kamphaeng Phet to Ayutthaya for work about a week earlier, and the couple had rented a room together before the fatal incident.
CCTV footage from the industrial estate reportedly showed a dark grey Honda PCX motorcycle entering the area and stopping outside the factory. The rider then restarted the engine, circled back and parked on the opposite side, near where the victim was waiting.
Three flashes resembling gunfire were subsequently visible before the rider sped away. However, the footage did not clearly capture the shooting itself.
Police are reviewing CCTV recordings, collecting evidence and searching for Watanyu. Investigators believe the suspect may still be armed and have urged caution during efforts to locate and arrest him.
The victim’s body will undergo a post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of death before being released to his family for funeral rites.
