Soldier shoots himself in Surin province, wounds two civilians

A soldier opened fire from an M16 rifle near a temple. Two residents were injured to varying degrees of severity. An investigation into the incident is underway.

In a tragic incident in Surin Province, near the Cambodian border, a conscript was found dead after a shooting that left two civilians injured. Private Ratthaphum Thepsiri, 25, assigned to the 1623rd Infantry Company, left his unit without permission, taking with him an M16 rifle and ammunition.

The first shots were fired around midnight, at about 12:45 a.m., near Wat Ban Khuen Kaew in Kap Choeng district. Two more shots were fired at 12:54 a.m. In the incident, Anuwat Singchai, 32, sustained a gunshot wound to his right lung, while Wutthana Naprakoan, 35, sustained minor injuries from flying glass.

Both victims are in stable condition. Anuwat Singchai was taken to Prasat Hospital and Wuttana Naprakoan to Surin Hospital. The provincial health department provided all necessary assistance.

A search was immediately launched for Private Ratthaphum, whose body was found hours later near the shooting site. According to preliminary information, the soldier committed suicide after the attack.

The Royal Thai Army Command expressed condolences to the victims and promised to provide them with all possible assistance.

Close cooperation is underway with the police and relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances of the incident. Currently, the Second Army Region, the police, and the forensic department are working to establish the cause of the incident.

Lieutenant General Bunsin Padklang, commander of the Second Army Region, expressed regret over the incident and ordered increased monitoring of the mental health of troops on the front lines. He also acknowledged that the recent border clashes had taken a psychological toll on the personnel.

Private Ratthaphum reportedly returned from duty on August 3 in the Prasat Ta Kwai area of Surin, a section of the border between Thailand and Cambodia where clashes occasionally occur. The dead man’s father, who helped with the search, said his son was stressed after two months of service and asked to go home, without mentioning any other problems.

The soldier’s mother posted an appeal to her son on Facebook a few hours before his body was found, calling on him to surrender. Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Vechayachai said the well-being of the military personnel needed to be given close attention. The tragedy highlights the importance of providing psychological support to personnel, especially in areas of high tension such as border areas.