Patong Police Chief Col Sujin Nilabordi confirmed the news today (Feb 25) as Pornthep Channarong was taken back to Bangla Rd to re-enact his actions that led to the shooting of noodle vendor Aroon Thongplab early Tuesday morning.
Mr Aroon was shot in the stomach by Pornthep, who was off duty as a corporal with the Phuket Provincial Police at the time, while he was walking along the street after collecting a noodle bowl from a customer just before 6am.
Pornthep was heavily drunk at the time of the shooting. He has since been dismissed from the police force, while Mr Aroon remains in intensive care at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
Wearing a face mask, baseball cap and bullet-proof vest, Pornthep was under close police protection as he quickly conducted his re-enactment today on Phuket’s usually busiest tourism street, before being escorted back to Patong Police Station.
Col Sujin told reporters that Pornthep had confessed to the shooting and co-operated well with police, though he said he was drunk at the time and did not remember the incident.
“The suspect’s relatives have already met the injured person’s relatives in this case to coordinate help and remedies,” Col Sujin said.
While getting in the police pickup to be taken back to Patong Police Station, Pornthep told reporters, “I’m sorry.”
Col Suchin today highlighted that the commanders of the Region 8 Police and the Phuket Provincial Police had both issued orders to the superintendents of all police stations on the island to “supervise officers” in carrying firearms and to “strictly monitor subordinates on drinking and behaving according to the order of the Royal Thai Police”.
Any officer found failing in maintaining discipline, especially regarding these issues, were to face “decisive action”, he said.