Policeman Fires Over 10 Shots in Pattaya Apartment; Narcotics Link Investigated

A DISTRAUGHT policeman who fired over 10 shots in a Pattaya apartment leaving it covered in blood before dawn today (Sep. 19) has been apprehended with investigators looking into possible link to narcotics, Amarin TV said. At 4.49 a.m. Pattaya City police radio centre received a report of a shooting within an apartment building at Soi Yen Sabai with patrol units immediately dispatched to contain the situation and apprehend the shooter. Pol. Capt. Sonthaya Khonsap, deputy inspector for crime suppression at Pattaya City police station, also took a police team there and coordinated with investigators to examine the area. Police then arrested the perpetrator, identified as Pol. Sen. Sgt. Maj. Nithis (surname withheld), 35, a patrol officer at Bang Lamung police station with records indicating that he had been recently transferred from Saraburi province to the seaside city. Ms. Dada, 32, the apartment building’s caretaker, revealed that prior to the incident, four women had checked into one of the units. The establishment has a strict policy prohibiting men from being brought up to the guest rooms fearing potential trouble. However, a woman from this group took a man — along with the alleged perpetrator — up to the guest room. Dada said she went up to check on the situation, as the facility primarily serves foreign guests. Upon arrival, she found the alleged perpetrator trembling and shaking with a handgun tucked at his waist and the room appeared to have been ransacked. She then went back downstairs to alert “Mr. Ta” and ask for assistance. When police inspected room number 7 on the third floor they saw what appeared to be blood stains on the floor and the walls. However it could not be immediately confirmed who had got shot with forensic analysis awaited. Bullet marks were also found outside the room, suggesting shots had been fired from within. Reporters observed approximately five impact marks on the wall and one on the partition. Meanwhile, the policemen had cordon off the room and barred reporters from entering. At the same time, nearby witnesses reported hearing approximately seven to eight gunshots during the incident, causing alarm among other residents in the area. Subsequently, forensic officers from Region 2 (Chonburi Province) arrived to inspect the scene and collect evidence. Preliminary findings included two electronic cigarettes, though it remains unclear whether they are linked to any illicit substances. Regarding the bullet marks, the police team initially estimated that about ten shots were fired, with the trajectory indicating the shots originated from inside the room. Further analysis of the shell casings, bullets, and other forensic evidence is required to verify the exact number of rounds fired and the detailed sequence of events. However, the individual involved in the shooting has denied consuming the narcotics, and authorities have not yet confirmed whether he had done so or not with results of the investigation and forensic analysis still pending. Police are currently gathering evidence, including CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts, bullet traces, spent casings, and forensic results, to establish the facts surrounding the shooting inside the room. They are also thoroughly investigating the cause and the sequence of events before proceeding with further legal action.