PHUKET: Police have charged a man for intimidating a new resident behind the Tha Reau Shrine by confronting the new resident and firing a handgun and a pump-action shotgun into the air reportedly a total of 30 times.
The new resident, Wisa Choo-in, 45, from Phatthalung, reported to Thalang Police yesterday (Jan 18) that he was in front of a small house on his lot, in Soi Hua Tha, Moo 3, Srisoonthorn, talking with his new neighbours on Monday night when a man walked up to the group at about 8:30pm.
He had never seen the man before, Mr Wisa told Thalang Police Station Chief Col Pisit Chuenphet and Deputy Chief Lt Col Krishna Channit.
The man was carrying a handgun and a pump-action shotgun, Mr Wisa said.
“He walked straight up to me and said to me that he is never afraid of anyone, not the village headman [Phu Yai Baan], the Subdistrict Chief [Kamnan] or anyone else,” Mr Wisa said.
The man stopped just over metre from in front of Mr Wisa.
“He then started firing his guns into the air,” Mr Wisa said.
“He fired about 30 shots to threaten me… I was scared to death because he nearly shot my face,” he said.
Police inspected the scene and recovered 11mm bullet casings and several shotgun cartridges.
Mr Wisa explained that he had recently bought the one-rai plot for B5 million and moved to the site about three months ago. He had recently had a brick wall built around the plot’s boundary.
Of note, on the brick wall beside the entrance to the property is a sign announcing that the land is already for sale.
Mr Wisa filed his formal complaint with the Thalang Police at about 10am yesterday.
“I was extremely shocked and frightened. I didn’t think that a tourist town like Phuket would have such a barbaric influence,” he said.
By 1pm, police reported that the man, who they named only as “Mr Yut”, had surrendered to Thalang Police for the incident.
Mr Yut was explained as the caretaker of the area behind the shrine.
No other details about Mr Yut were provided.
Police have yet to give any explanation as to why Mr Yut threatened Mr Wisa.
Police did confirm they were now conducting a criminal background check on Mr Yut and checking whether he has permits for the guns used in the incident.
Source: The Phuket News
