Gun battle at Songkran celebration in the north - residents flee in terror.

[rooster59]

Gun battle at Songkran celebration in the north - residents flee in terror.

Image: Thairath

KAMPHAENGPHET: Residents in downtown Kamphaengphet were picking up the pieces Friday after a gun and knife battle between two rival youth gangs caused mayhem at Songkran celebrations.

Police found at least twenty spent cartridges, broken bottles and smashed windows as they looked for evidence in the area between the Wat Sadej intersection and the Hotel Rachadamnern area in the downtown northern Thai town.

One girl, Surimas Kamonman, fled to a second floor bedroom as the fights intensified as the black shirted gangs attacked.

Three people were reported injured while roads in the area were closed off Friday as the clean up continued.

Surimas said: "Loads of people turned up all in black shirts. They were firing guns, using knives and throwing bottles. It was completely out of control."

She said she fled to a second floor room in her townhouse with a friend as the front windows both downstairs and upstairs were smashed in.

"We locked the bedroom door and wrapped ourselves in blankets to protect from flying glass," she added.

Police found ten spent cartridge casings on Thursday and another ten yesterday as the clean up continued. Officers say they are close on the tail of those responsible.

Source: Thairath

-- 2016-04-16

[clockman]

Nice peaceful Buddhists, This county lost its way along time ago.!

[fredob43]

All the suspects have been caught on Camera. Seems the black shirted mob were from out of town.

Took the Cops all 2 of them over an hours to get to the scene. The photo was taken on day two.

The way they are going in several weeks we might have a few detained allegedly.

[Lysdexic]

Nice peaceful Buddhists, This county lost its way along time ago.!

Because these few represent all of Thailand and further, all of Buddhism.

Got it.

[FarangRimPing]

It's only a couple of hundred meters from a police station.

There were 2 cops there when it all started and they ran away. They returned after it was all over.

The son of one of our close friends was grazed by one of the bullets.

Crazy

[biplanebluey]

So what do you want the cops to do--------- come out and shout at these young boys and endanger their own lives standing in the line of fire.Leave it for 24hrs and do a local house search---much safer

[camsouth]

i think the average cop here who has to buy his own stuff is sad , and low pay for what they risk. if that was in us swat would have been there in a flash and a lot of other cops . as well . here they know there will be little or no response to this kind of action . the police here are under funded, as a force. and i know all will say they make good behind closed doors . but the average beat cop ?

[quandow]

Are the cops pointing in the direction the bullets went?

[sabian]

Something similar happened here on the second day, I don't think weapons were involved but rival gangs kicked off as the free concert started, and to the credit of the local government and Army, they went straight in caught hold of them and closed the whole concert down in minutes, to the dismay of several thousand people who were there to have a genuinely good time, the gangs didn't look quite so cool once the crowd realised why their fun had suddenly stopped, they looked like scared little kids trying to get out of there as quick as they could be escorted to the paddy wagons. Next day no problems, it's the only way people learn, a sharp shock. You do this and this is the result.

[lvr181]

"...Officers say they are close on the tail of those responsible." Oh really? Or am I just a cynic? History CAN teach us.

[FarangRimPing]

Yap yap yap...is what I hear reading this. Same same.

So what do you want the cops to do--------- come out and shout at these young boys and endanger their own lives standing in the line of fire.Leave it for 24hrs and do a local house search---much safer

It would be nice if the cops helped protect the innocent bystanders. This was not out in the boondocks, it was in the center of the city.

About 5 years ago, not more than 100 meters from where this happened, we were in the middle of something similar. Picture a 4 lane road where the pickup trucks filled with people are not moving since everyone is water playing. A bottle was thrown, severely cutting one of the young lads. Out comes a gun and everyone scrambles for cover. Understand that the people playing water include many little kids. There were many hundreds of people in that section of road.

IMHO, the cops should try to prevent this from happening, and if something does happen, they should try to protect the innocents.

[Sealbash]

Nice peaceful Buddhists, This county lost its way along time ago.!

Where does it state their religion?

[Stray]

As long as there was no nipple exposure, everything is okay.

All other crimes will be looked into after Songkran is over.

[Mudcrab]

Yap yap yap...is what I hear reading this. Same same.

So what do you want the cops to do--------- come out and shout at these young boys and endanger their own lives standing in the line of fire.Leave it for 24hrs and do a local house search---much safer

It would be nice if the cops helped protect the innocent bystanders. This was not out in the boondocks, it was in the center of the city.

About 5 years ago, not more than 100 meters from where this happened, we were in the middle of something similar. Picture a 4 lane road where the pickup trucks filled with people are not moving since everyone is water playing. A bottle was thrown, severely cutting one of the young lads. Out comes a gun and everyone scrambles for cover. Understand that the people playing water include many little kids. There were many hundreds of people in that section of road.

IMHO, the cops should try to prevent this from happening, and if something does happen, they should try to protect the innocents.

How, exactly, should the cops prevent this from happening.

More the job of their parents to instill some values when they are being raised.

Not just in Thailand but world wide.

I recently read that in some parts of Los Angeles the life expectancy of someone on death row for a gang related murder was higher than if they were still on the streets in a gang.

[Kiwiken]

Clashes between Gangs is not just a Thai problem. Certainly does not dissuade me. There are a lot more good thai people than bad

[FarangRimPing]

Yap yap yap...is what I hear reading this. Same same.

So what do you want the cops to do--------- come out and shout at these young boys and endanger their own lives standing in the line of fire.Leave it for 24hrs and do a local house search---much safer

It would be nice if the cops helped protect the innocent bystanders. This was not out in the boondocks, it was in the center of the city.

About 5 years ago, not more than 100 meters from where this happened, we were in the middle of something similar. Picture a 4 lane road where the pickup trucks filled with people are not moving since everyone is water playing. A bottle was thrown, severely cutting one of the young lads. Out comes a gun and everyone scrambles for cover. Understand that the people playing water include many little kids. There were many hundreds of people in that section of road.

IMHO, the cops should try to prevent this from happening, and if something does happen, they should try to protect the innocents.

How, exactly, should the cops prevent this from happening.

More the job of their parents to instill some values when they are being raised.

Not just in Thailand but world wide.

I recently read that in some parts of Los Angeles the life expectancy of someone on death row for a gang related murder was higher than if they were still on the streets in a gang.

I'm not an expert in criminology, but I've read about cities reducing crime rates through (pro)active policing.

Perhaps more police on duty (who are not drinking)? Police being 'part of the community'? If they see something starting to happen, stepping in and separating the opposing parties? etc etc.

They might not be able to prevent all incidents but I bet that they may be able to reduce them.

And they should be there to help the innocents, even if they cannot prevent the incident. Do something is better than doing nothing and letting innocent bystanders be harmed.

[Jonathan Swift]

I think these reporters learned to write stories by reading old detective stories and listening to Philip Marlowe radio shows. Things like "close on the tail" and in another story someone "hot footed" it out of somewhere. They're using old radio drama clichés to "dramatize" their stories, which I suppose they need.

[rebelplatoon]

Two main problems. Guns are easily available, as are other weapons. There is no intervention program where kids get re educated in a boot camp until and after they've been convicted of a crime. Happen to know some parents with kids out of control, they want them to face punishment but don't know where to turn.

Forget the silly remarks about Buddhism. The present day crusades in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan would make this a non event. Just as the genocide of the Palestinians would make all Jews bad people? The topic is gangs, derailed kids and weapons.

[ronwparker]

The lowest gun crime rates in the world are in the UK and Japan where regular police do not carry firearms!!!! sadly beneaneath the propaganda of T.A.T. the 'land of smiles ' is not so good under the surface!!!

[seedy]

Usual posts Removed - Troll / Flaming / Derogatory / Nonsense

[mankondang]

Nice peaceful Buddhists, This county lost its way along time ago.!

That's like saying Al Capone was a nice peaceful Christian. There's good and bad everywhere. Grow up

[haybilly]

Although the probable immediate cause of this was too much alcohol, and available weapons--the possible underlying cause is the terribly high rate of unemployment currently being experienced in this area--we have many family members living within 20 KM of this 'crime scene', and the vast majority are finding work either impossibly hard to find, or non-existent. The drought has destroyed any hopes of farming, and companies like CP have bought up vast swathes of the land for a pittance. This area is a ticking time bomb of resentment.

[BritManToo]

While the quoted poster was overgeneralizing, this has become a violent country, with a gun death rate twice that of the U.S.

No. it's always been that way, the invention of social media just publicizes it more now.

A country full of drugs, gangs and bandits from time immemorial.

[mikiea]

So what do you want the cops to do--------- come out and shout at these young boys and endanger their own lives standing in the line of fire.Leave it for 24hrs and do a local house search---much safer

they are there to do two things , .... PROTECT AND SERVE if they cannot do that , well they should carry their chicken shxt ass's back to the village . and you biplane suggest that all crimes are to be treated like this ? a 24 hour head start to a clean getaway ? i think you need to you swivel around to facing the bar . pretend you are Sargent Schultz . . oh and tell me if that 24 hour thing-a-magingy rule you are touting apply's when your wife or daughter is raped or assaulted ? inquiring minds need to know .

[ozyjon]

''Gun Battle at Songkran Koral''

guns drawn at high noon,,

the bullets went that a way

and i'm going to sell up in my country and move

permanently to Thailand N-0-T

3 times i have been to festivals where long knife

wheeling fights broke out, kids chopping into each

other, now put your beer down, turn off the tv and

go see what the real Thailand is like, i avoid many

festivals now.

[gyrosman]

Yes, let's give them more facebook and allow them to buy alcohol at the local shops. Hey, where were the bullets purchase? Oh! I forgot no real CSI qualified police here but can fine a guy with no shirt.

Generation X here will continue to degrade Thailand's growth. For such a small counties population the ratio of violence is beyond belief.

Maybe we should bring some SYRIA refugees here to balance the violence and have a fair fight.

[alanferdi]

Nice peaceful Buddhists, This county lost its way along time ago.!

I am also thinking on same lines... though not to downgrade the religion... but the belief that has not filtered beyond the ear and the eye to the inner brain. Songkran is in the essence a lovely gesture of washing of hands and feet of the elderly, most often the parents and they bless their offspring with wealth, health and wisdom. Thats the essence of Songkran.

The commercial one and I am not sure which idiot got it going.... locals or farangs is to throw water at people.... that went down with a smile and frown and left the elderly in their homes to avoid this hooligan trait of a celebration. Hooligan???? yeah hooligan, who in their right mind throw ice water on a motorcyclist.... who then looses balance and falls....blessing or curse...you decide! If you do not believe me look at the statistics... 1 day 142 killed.... whats the score today? a one off you say....NO every year... what does not get into rational minds the figures are high every year... remember the year when 13000 died in Songkran celebrations? Sad Thailand said...rich in heritage but foolish in preserving it.... Songkran for Thailand is not a blessing....its becoming a curse and one that foreigners should avoid encouraging. Thailand....wake up shooting at each other or causing bodily harm is not songkran.......

[Broeno]

Happy new year for all Thai buddhist.

[edhart]

Nice peaceful Buddhists, This county lost its way along time ago.!

i agree ,well even Muslim countries where peaceful once ,now look at the middle east ,was in thailand 1970 ,i ask where have all the trees gone ,why is the place so dirty ,why does sea look terrible in lot places ,tried it , left it ,westerner have freedom to live where they like ,can't say the same for everybody ,so if you dont like move on ,

[DrTuner]

Clashes between Gangs is not just a Thai problem.

It's becoming every one's problem. Yesterday at Soi 7 in Pattaya couple of teen gangs with souped up scooters were patrolling around and getting into fights. Haven't seen them in the tourists areas before.