Construction Contractor Critically Wounded in Home Golf Ambush
A construction contractor was seriously wounded by a .22 rifle shot while golfing at his Phatthalung home; police suspect a personal or business dispute.
A gunman ambushed a construction contractor while he was driving golf balls on the lawn beside his house, leaving him critically wounded after a bullet pierced his right ear and lodged in his left cheek. Police are pursuing both personal and business conflict angles.
At approximately 8:00 p.m. on October 20, 2026, Lieutenant Colonel Pongsak Khaonuan, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation at Bang Kaeo Police Station, received a report of a shooting at a residence that also serves as a company office in Moo 8, Khok Sak Subdistrict, Bang Kaeo District, Phatthalung Province. He led investigative and forensic teams to the scene.
Officers found a bloodstain, golf clubs, and balls on the lawn, along with a table and chairs bearing a water bottle, insect repellent, and a flashlight. The victim, 57-year-old Saeng-atit Ea, a well-known Phatthalung construction contractor, had been shot once with a .22 rifle. Relatives rushed him to Tah Moh Hospital before he was transferred to Phatthalung Hospital.
Investigation revealed Saeng-atit was practicing golf drives when two gunshots rang out. A female employee disclosed that five days earlier, a dog kept in a cage at the property had been poisoned, though the significance was unclear until the shooting occurred.
Police believe the assailant lay in wait in the scrub forest bordering the lawn before opening fire and fleeing back through the woods. Authorities are gathering evidence and witnesses, focusing on two primary motives: a personal dispute or a conflict related to the victim's construction business.
