BANGKOK, Thailand — A former Thai member of parliament has been arrested after allegedly shooting and killing a senior local government official near Bangkok — and then calling into a YouTube livestream to tell a political commentator what he had done.
Police said Chalong Riewraeng, a former MP from Nonthaburi, was detained following the shooting at the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization office on Monday.
The victim, Thongchai Yenprasert, the organisation’s chief executive and a former police officer, was shot during a confrontation and later died in hospital. His driver was also injured in the incident. (AP News)
Shocking livestream confession
Shortly after the shooting, the former lawmaker reportedly dialled into a YouTube livestream hosted by political commentator Anchalee Paireerak.
During the call, Chalong allegedly told the presenter that he had shot Thongchai, leaving the host visibly shocked.
He was later arrested by police and questioned about the killing. (Saudi Gazette)
Money dispute under investigation
Authorities are investigating the motive. Initial reports indicate that the shooting may have been connected to a financial dispute between the two men, with claims involving several million Thai baht.
Chalong has reportedly given police his own account of the confrontation, saying he did not intend to fire his weapon and that the shooting occurred after the victim’s driver allegedly pointed a gun at him. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances. (AP News)
The killing comes only days after another deadly shooting in Nonthaburi, where a teenage gunman carried out a shooting spree that killed several people, intensifying concerns about gun violence and firearm regulation in Thailand.
