Factory Owner Shoots Dead Robber in Samut Sakhon
A 72-year-old factory owner in Samut Sakhon shot and killed a suspected thief during a robbery attempt at his warehouse on October 23. The owner, known as Hia Po, confronted a gang of four thieves and fired his .38 revolver in self-defense when one lunged at him with a steel pipe. Police are investigating the shooting and searching for the three fleeing suspects.
At around 10:00 a.m. on October 23, 2026 (2569 BE), Pol. Lt. Col. Thira-dech Athiphak-kun, Superintendent of Samut Sakhon Provincial Police, led a team including Krathum Baen Police Station chief Pol. Lt. Col. Phasaphong Manda, and other officers, forensic doctors, and rescue volunteers to investigate a robbery at a factory in Suan Luang subdistrict, Krathum Baen district, Samut Sakhon. One person was shot dead at the scene.
The factory is an open-plan warehouse with high roof, housing large industrial machinery for metal production, though the equipment is old and stored alongside scrap metal and steel parts. The deceased is an unidentified man, approximately 40 years old, tall and large. Preliminary autopsy shows he was shot once in the left chest, the bullet piercing his heart and lodging inside.
The shooter is 72-year-old factory owner 'Hia Po', who waited at the scene and surrendered to police. He stated that he was leaving for work when his wife called to say thieves were breaking into the factory again. The factory, built 4-5 years ago with proper permits, had been idle due to poor economy, only storing old machinery. His children planned to convert it for online sales, but repeated thefts occurred, mostly targeting circuit boards and copper. About 4-5 months ago, police arrested three thieves, after which incidents paused until recently.
Today, alerted by neighbors, Hia Po returned home, retrieved his .38 revolver, and went to the factory with his wife and daughter waiting outside. Inside, he heard sounds of cutting at the rear and saw a thief holding a steel pipe lunging at him. He fired one shot in self-defense, not knowing where it hit. The other three thieves fled out the back upon hearing the gunshot.
Police have taken Hia Po and his family to Krathum Baen Police Station for further questioning and will pursue charges accordingly. They will also track down the remaining suspects based on his statement.
