POLICE have made arrests in the case of the Patong gunfight that left one man dead and at least three wounded as ''countless'' bullets were fired.

The officer leading the investigation, Police Lieutenant Jukkapong Luang-On, says he personally telephoned the man who was the prime suspect in the killing and told him to give himself up.

Although many shots were fired, probably from two or more weapons, no guns have been found or confiscated by police.

Escape from Phuket by road or air has been made virtually impossible because of the intense security surrounding the Asean summit, with many checkpoints on the island's north.

The car in which the men escaped from the scene of the central Patong shooting, with gunfire erupting around 1.50pm on Tuesday, belonged to the man who died after the battle, Daruwat Burintarakob, 24.

He had left the keys in the ignition of his red Honda CVR, little realising it would become an escape vehicle for his killers.

A single shot to the heart left Khun Daruwat dying and three of his protectors wounded when talks about a Patong property dispute flared into gunfire.

The getaway vehicle was later driven to Kathu Police Station in Patong, probably by a friend of the gunmen.

The vehicle is now impounded evidence in the case, Phuket Police Chief Pekad Tantipong told Phuketwan today.

''This investigation has a long history,'' he said. ''It's a dispute between Phuket people about business.''

A woman who was a sister of the owner of the property, Jintana Plaza, on the beach road, was murdered last year.

Khun Daruwat was the owner's nephew.

A shove in the chest when rival claimants and their supporters gathered to talk on Tuesday at the property led to guns being drawn, shots galore, and tourists and nearby vendors running for cover.

Police declined to say how many people were already being held.

Officers are awaiting the opportunity to interview the three wounded men, who remain in Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Phuket City.

All three were reported as out of danger but still too ill to be interviewed.

Some of the men who escaped in the dead man's vehicle were also thought to have been wounded.


Phuket, Not to Be Eclipsed, Says 'Hello Hillary'
Take the Tour Inside Hillary Clinton's Resort Cloud earlier covered the eclipse of the sun, But Phuket finally got something special. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives.
Phuket, Not to Be Eclipsed, Says 'Hello Hillary'

Patong Gunfight: Police Warn of Killers On The Run
Murder Alert The gang that shot four men today, killing one, are on the run on Phuket and dangerous. Police tonight warned people to stay clear of the fugitive gang, and named the victims.
Patong Gunfight: Police Warn of Killers On The Run

Patong Gunfight: One Dead, Three Wounded
Updating Report A shootout in Patong has left one man dead and three injured this afternoon. Bystanders said it was a like the Phuket version of a scene from the wild west.
Patong Gunfight: One Dead, Three Wounded

Phuket Rampage: Knife 'Held at Tourists' Throats'
Latest Police have arrested three men accused of a Phuket City rampage during which, security camera footage reveals, they held a knife to the throats of a tourist couple in a lift.
Phuket Rampage: Knife 'Held at Tourists' Throats'


AseanWATCH: Clinton Show Rolling on to Phuket
Latest Human rights will be high on Hillary Clinton's list as the arrest of five Malaysian Immigration officers provides topicality. Phuket gives her a chance to impress the critics.
AseanWATCH: Clinton Show Rolling on to Phuket