Former Politician Charged in Fatal Shooting of Nonthaburi Administrator
Former three-term Nonthaburi MP Chalor Riewrang has been charged with fatally shooting provincial administrator Thongchai Yenprasert, his political rival, on August 10, ending a career marked by party-switching and previous legal troubles.
From local politician to three-term member of parliament, Chalor Riewrang built both renown and notoriety, earning legendary nicknames along the way. Today, his life has reached its lowest point after he was charged with shooting Thongchai Yenprasert, chairman of the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization, resulting in Yenprasert's death.
Chalor began by building his political base in local government before entering the national arena. He switched parties countless times, eventually winning election as Nonthaburi MP three times: in 1996 under the Thai Nation Party, 2005 under Thai Rak Thai, and 2011 under For Thailand Party.
The nickname "Lung Snake Charmer" came from voting against his own party line in 1997, when he and 12 other MPs supported Chuan Leekpai for prime minister. The nickname "Lung Bootleg CD" stemmed from allegations that he was involved in a bootleg CD operation; police raided his home but found no evidence of wrongdoing.
He faced another case for filing false asset and debt declarations to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. The Supreme Court convicted him in 2019, sentencing him to one month in jail and a 4,000-baht fine, with the sentence suspended for one year.
His political star began fading steadily. In the 2019 election, he ran under the Palang Pracharath Party but lost. In 2020, he challenged for the Nonthaburi Provincial Administrative Organization chair under the Nonthaburi Power Group banner but lost to the same Thongchai Yenprasert—the man he would later shoot.
After that defeat, Chalor quietly faded from the political spotlight. Though he joined the Thai Pride Party in 2022, he never regained any significant role.
Then on August 10, Chalor fired a 9-millimeter weapon at Thongchai, killing him, and wounded Thongchai's driver. Chalor claimed the shooting was over an 11-million-baht debt, but the Provincial Administrative Organization and Thongchai's associates denied any such debt existed.
Regardless of the facts, the answer must come through the justice system, not through the barrel of a gun. The court denied bail, and Chalor is now held in prison pending trial.
This is not merely the end of one politician's career, but a cautionary tale for all in politics. Power is fleeting, reputation is fragile, and the high walls built on political gain can crumble at any moment. When trouble comes, no office ranks above the law.
This lesson extends beyond serious crime to serious political wrongs—corruption, abuse of power, defrauding the nation and the people. Whether one uses a gun or abuses power while believing oneself above the law, the price one eventually pays may exceed the walls one built. And when that day comes, no position, no party, no ally can reach out to help. It is then a tiger's paw.
