Drug Suspect Shoots at Police, Escapes in Nakhon Pathom

Police have yet to apprehend an armed drug suspect who opened fire on officers during a botched arrest in Phutthamonthon district, Nakhon Pathom. On October 26 at 3:30 p.m., investigative officers from Phutthamonthon Police Station acted on a tip about a drug delivery near Ban Khlong Yong School in Moo 4, Mahasawat subdistrict. Upon arrival, they detected the smell of drugs and found a suspect, later identified as 55-year-old Kraiwich, using methamphetamine inside a room at a shop-house in the area. When officers entered, they saw a firearm beside him. The suspect resisted, grabbed the gun, and fled out the back toward a canal embankment, heading for the waterway. Officers gave chase and called for reinforcements. As police closed in, the suspect turned and fired one round at them to clear his escape route. Despite a tight pursuit, the suspect used his knowledge of the local terrain — fields, canals, and scrub forest — to evade capture. Heavy rain further complicated the search.

Senior officers, including Pol. Col. Pitak Uppong, Nakhon Pathom Provincial Police Commander, and Pol. Lt. Col. Kritsanat Wongkla-han, Deputy Commander, along with Phutthamonthon District Chief Sanchai Phakdeechotchiwilit and other officials, arrived to oversee the operation. A search of the suspect's room yielded a 12-gauge shotgun with four shells, a handgun, two small packets of crystal meth (ice), and five yaba tablets. All items were seized as evidence.

Police coordinated with Region 7 Police to deploy drones equipped with thermal imaging to scan the escape area. However, the difficult geography and heavy rainfall hindered the operation. Authorities have established a 24-hour checkpoint at the scene and alerted village heads and residents to be on the lookout for a shirtless man wearing red pants. The public is urged to report any sightings to the checkpoint or the 191 emergency hotline. Forensic teams have also processed the scene to gather evidence for prosecution.