Police officer and gunman injured in subsequent chase before arrest made
An early morning pursuit ended with two injuries after a guest opened fire at a Rayong resort owner for denying him a free stay.
Police were called to the resort in Klaeng district at 3am on Saturday to respond to a reported shooting. A team of officers arrived and found resort owner Thanapisit Thanaratpiwat, 42, in a state of panic.
Mr Thanapisit explained that a single male guest had approached him to rent a room. When asked to place a payment, the man said he did not have any money and after being denied the room, pulled a gun and began threatening Mr Thanapisit, firing at him and driving him to find cover.
After the owner told the police that the shooter was hiding in room No. 10, the officers entered the room and found a man later identified as Munkong Ratanavijit, 31, lying on the bed. Authorities attempted to convince him to surrender but he spoke incoherently and began brandishing a .38 pistol.
A member of the responding squad unsuccessfully tried to incapacitate Mr Munkong by shooting him in the back with an electroshock weapon, but he was able to fire back towards the officers as he fled.
The shooter eventually shot and injured Pol Snr Sgt Maj Saksit Phutta before he was shot in the leg and taken into custody.
He was found with 200 methamphetamine tablets and the pistol, which were both seized as evidence. Police took him to Klaeng Hospital for treatment.
The injured officer is no longer in critical condition and the gunman will be prosecuted once he leaves hospital.