Stepson Shoots Stepfather Dead in Family Dispute
A 27-year-old man shot his 60-year-old stepfather dead during a family dispute over home repairs in Nakhon Ratchasima Province on July 2, then fled into a forest; police launched a manhunt with checkpoints across the region.
On July 2, 2025, Sikhiu Police received a report of a fatal shooting at a house in Nonna Village, Ladbuakhao Subdistrict, Sikhiu District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Officers coordinated with rescue units and related agencies to investigate the scene near a sugarcane forest in front of the house, where they found the body of 60-year-old Chamnan. He had been shot once in the left chest, with the bullet piercing his heart. The suspect was identified as 27-year-old Thaapanpong, the stepson, who fled into the forest behind the house after the shooting.
Police mobilized officers to cordon off the area and issued an urgent manhunt. A homemade .22mm firearm, believed to be the weapon used, was found abandoned in the forest near the crime scene. Officers from the Regional Crime Suppression Division conducted a thorough evidence collection.
When questioned, Janya, the victim's wife, revealed that her son and husband had frequent quarrels over family matters, particularly regarding home repairs and construction. Before the incident, her son was building a new house when a heated argument erupted. The son challenged his stepfather to come down from the second floor and then retrieved a firearm. Though she tried to stop her husband from going down, fearing violence, he descended hoping to talk and resolve the dispute. The two met near the sugarcane forest, where the son shot his stepfather once, causing him to collapse and die. The son then fled into the forest.
The couple had long-standing conflicts and had argued many times, but she never expected it would escalate to fatal violence. She appealed to her son to surrender to police and face justice.
Brig. Gen. Narongsak Promtha, Commander of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Police, stated that the incident occurred early that morning. Preliminary investigation confirmed that the stepson used a firearm to shoot his stepfather fatally before fleeing. The initial cause was identified as a family dispute, with both parties having ongoing quarrels before the conflict escalated to murder. Details about the firearm are still under investigation.
Police ordered all units to intensively pursue and apprehend the suspect, believed to still be hiding in the area. Checkpoints and surveillance were set up along escape routes in Sikhiu District, neighboring areas, Pakchong District, and Nong Sarai Subdistrict, as the suspect was reportedly using a motorcycle. Police urge the public to report any suspicious individuals or motorcycles in the area to emergency hotline 191 or the nearest police station to expedite the apprehension and prosecution of the suspect.
