PHUKET: A manhunt for a triple killer north of Phuket led police to surround the house of the wanted fugitive's wife yesterday.
Police used a loud hailer to call the man to come out and fired shots into the air. But he had fled back into the jungle minutes earlier, with supplies replenished.
Police, soldiers and armed volunteers are fanning out throughout the tourist province of Phang Nga in their hunt for the killer.
Somsak Wongsri, 48.shot dead three neighbors and, in a telephone conversation on Monday, told police he planned to kill two more.
The three slayings a day earlier shocked the citizens of Takuapa, the Andaman Sea coastal town north of Phuket.
Police have placed the two people who are now targets under 24-hour guard.
Khun Somsak is a wily bushman, who knows the jungle well. He might as well kill all his enemies, because he has nothing more to lose.
Locals have some sympathy for Khun Somsak, saying that greedy neighbors conspired to lock away his rubber plantation.
The only access for Khun Somsak, a poor farmer compared to his well-to-do neighbors, was through neighbors' land.
When they all decided to forbid him access, he went to them and pleaded to let him continue to farm his plot.
But his wealthy neighbors, according to others in Takuapa, wanted to drive him to sell at a low price.
He had been threatened with violence. He knew a long fight through the courts could take many years.
So on Sunday, he snapped. He shot dead Prajomb Choojid, 42, and Sarawat Boonklin, 31, then Somboon Kimtorn, 69, for good measure.
Facing life in prison, Somsak is a fugitive with nothing left to loose.
The three victims were to be cremated today. Victims Somboon is the father of a famous Thai folk singer, Ice R Siam, who headed to Takuapa from Bangkok at the weekend.
Police used a loud hailer to call the man to come out and fired shots into the air. But he had fled back into the jungle minutes earlier, with supplies replenished.
Police, soldiers and armed volunteers are fanning out throughout the tourist province of Phang Nga in their hunt for the killer.
Somsak Wongsri, 48.shot dead three neighbors and, in a telephone conversation on Monday, told police he planned to kill two more.
The three slayings a day earlier shocked the citizens of Takuapa, the Andaman Sea coastal town north of Phuket.
Police have placed the two people who are now targets under 24-hour guard.
Khun Somsak is a wily bushman, who knows the jungle well. He might as well kill all his enemies, because he has nothing more to lose.
Locals have some sympathy for Khun Somsak, saying that greedy neighbors conspired to lock away his rubber plantation.
The only access for Khun Somsak, a poor farmer compared to his well-to-do neighbors, was through neighbors' land.
When they all decided to forbid him access, he went to them and pleaded to let him continue to farm his plot.
But his wealthy neighbors, according to others in Takuapa, wanted to drive him to sell at a low price.
He had been threatened with violence. He knew a long fight through the courts could take many years.
So on Sunday, he snapped. He shot dead Prajomb Choojid, 42, and Sarawat Boonklin, 31, then Somboon Kimtorn, 69, for good measure.
Facing life in prison, Somsak is a fugitive with nothing left to loose.
The three victims were to be cremated today. Victims Somboon is the father of a famous Thai folk singer, Ice R Siam, who headed to Takuapa from Bangkok at the weekend.
Violence is often the language of the oppressed and inarticulate. There are always two sides to every story. Normal people just don't snap and turn killer for no reason.
Posted by logbags on December 27, 2012 20:59