The official notice was served on Friday (Aug 5), with the closure order in effect through to Sept 3. According to the order, the venue “is regarded as a place where illegal acts and behaviours are contrary to public order or good morals.”
The venue was finally identified by Phuket officials on Friday as ‘Sod’ (which depending on context may mean ‘fresh’, ‘single’ or ’live’, as in ’live music’), located at 445/1 Phuket Rd, Talad Yai, Phuket Town. The venue had previously traded as Nai Mueang Phuket pub and karaoke bar, located opposite Phuket Customs House on Phuket Rd, barely 200 metres from Phuket Immigration.
While the order was signed by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, the announcement marking the closure order listed more than a dozen top-ranking local officers involved in the investigation, including senior police officers.
The closure order also followed the venue operator being given four days to try to explain why the venue was open so late.
Initial reports said police were called to the venue at 5:50am, but official reports later said the shooting happened at about 5am.
Yet according to the announcement by Phuket officials last Friday, the statement given to officials by the venue operator said the incident happened sometime after 4am.
According to the venue operator, patrons were outside the venue waiting for heavy rain to ease in order to go home. Apparently they had waited for hours.
At about 4am, Traitaewit ‘Got’ Chindamaikul, 27, a resident of Phuket Town, had attacked a group with a sword after an altercation with a woman at the pub. One person had suffered serious injury to a finger, the venue operator, unnamed by officials, said.
In response, pub security guard Chaiwat ‘Od’ Chuwong, 35, pulled out his Glock 9mm handgun and shot Mr Traitaewit once in the chest, killing him. Traitaewit’s body was found beside his white pickup in the car park, more than 20 metres from the front of the club. Blood smear marks were on the side of the pickup showing that he had fallen there.
Mr Chaiwat waited for police at the scene and immediately surrendered the handgun used in the shooting.
The announcement by Phuket officials last Friday marked that Mr Chaiwat had no right to be carrying a firearm at the scene.
However, it was not confirmed what charges, if any, he would face for the transgression.
Officials did not confirm what charges, again, if any, Mr Chaiwat would face for the fatal shooting.
More than a week after the shooting, other than their inital reports on Aug 1, Phuket City Police and Phuket Provincial Police have yet to make any public statements about their investigation into the shooting.