Former Thai MP allegedly kills official and confesses on YouTube
Chalong Riewrang called a YouTube livestream to say he had shot a government official.
A former Thai Member of Parliament is accused of fatally shooting a local official in Nonthaburi province and subsequently confessing to the act during a live YouTube broadcast.
Chalong Reawraeng, who previously represented Nonthaburi, reportedly informed a stunned Anchalee Paireerak, a political pundit hosting the livestream, that he had shot Thongchai Yenprasert, a former police official, outside Thongchai's office. Thongchai, struck in the neck, later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. His driver sustained gunshot wounds to the arm and hand.
Following his arrest, Chalong was permitted to hold a press conference at a police station, where he attempted to explain the incident while smoking a cigarette. He told reporters that Thongchai was "angry" with him, though he did not elaborate on the reason. Chalong also claimed he had no intention of shooting Thongchai, whom he described as a "good friend."
Chalong stated he had approached Thongchai, expressing a desire to talk. Local media reports suggest a personal dispute between the two. Chalong recounted, "He [Thongchai] then pushed me, saying 'I don't want to talk, I don't want to talk.'" Chalong said he then followed Thongchai towards his car. "When I pulled the gun out, I didn't intend to shoot him. But then [Thongchai's driver] pulled his gun out and pointed it at me, so I fired."
Thongchai, a retired police colonel, served as president of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO), a local government body.
Earlier, Chalong had contacted political commentator Anchalee Paireerak during her YouTube livestream to confess. Anchalee was filmed answering the call mid-program, saying, "I'll call you back... Oh, something big [happened]? Go ahead, what's that?" While viewers could not hear Chalong's subsequent words, Anchalee's reaction showed clear shock. "Did he die? Did he die? You shot him in the head? You need to wait there for the cops," she instructed on the video, seen by the BBC. "Don't go anywhere."
Monday's shooting occurred just three days after a 14-year-old boy killed seven people at his home and school before taking his own life, marking Thailand's most severe mass shooting since 2022. The two incidents are unrelated.
This latest shooting is expected to intensify discussions surrounding gun control in Thailand, which possesses the highest rate of gun ownership in Southeast Asia by a significant margin. In response to Friday's school shooting, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ordered stricter enforcement of gun laws and announced police checkpoints as part of a crackdown. Additional measures will include tightening controls on the possession, carrying, and use of firearms.