Police Hunt Black VW Driver in Cockfighting Enthusiast's Murder
A cockfighting live-streamer was shot dead outside a grocery store in Trang Province on July 21; police are searching for a black Volkswagen sedan with fake plates believed used by the assailant, who may have tracked him from a cockfighting
Police are hunting a black Volkswagen sedan with forged license plates in connection with the fatal shooting of Thaninchay, a cockfighting live-streamer, who was killed outside a small grocery store in Na Bin La, Muang District, Trang Province on the evening of July 21. Investigators suspect the assailant tracked the victim from a cockfighting arena.
On July 22, family members held a spirit-calling ceremony at the crime scene. The victim's girlfriend, Ms. Kamolrat, tearfully told reporters she had prepared a meal for him the previous day, but he never returned to eat it. She urged police to quickly apprehend the perpetrator and not let the case go cold, emphasizing that her boyfriend was a good man with no conflicts. They had been together for over five years and were saving to marry next year. She works at a nail salon while he was planning to supplement his income by tapping rubber.
Ball, a close friend who worked as a cockfighting commentator with the victim since first grade, described him as well-mannered, polite, and previously a mechanic before entering the cockfighting business about 2–3 years ago. He earned approximately 18,000 baht monthly plus annual bonuses and harbored no known disputes with anyone. Investigators believe at least two perpetrators were involved, with one possibly tracking the victim's movements before coordinating with the shooter. The attackers used a meticulously prepared forged license plate and appear to have followed him until he stopped to buy food, when they returned to attack. The victim earned income working for a group with servers based in Malaysia.
