Paramilitary volunteer: A paramilitary ranger volunteer reportedly shot himself dead in the toilet of a restaurant in Narathiwat province on Saturday night, reportedly because of stress caused by debts and family issues.
Following the report of the suspected suicide at 11.45pm in the toilet of the Reun Mai Hom Restaurant on Sai Thong 6 Road, Pol Lieutenant Naruchat Prapat of Sungai Kolok precinct led officers and rescue workers to the scene. They found the body of paramilitary ranger volunteer Sunthorn Panthalad, 30, from the 48th Rangers Regiment’s 4813 company, Joh I Rong district. He had a single gunshot wound and a pistol was found nearby. The body was sent for autopsy to Sungai Kolok Hospital.
Initial police investigations found that Sunthorn had gone for a meal to the restaurant along with three colleagues. When they were about to leave, Sunthorn excused himself on the pretext of going to the toilet while his friends waited outside. They heard a single gunshot sound and rushed to the toilet. They found Sunthorn had allegedly shot himself dead. His friends told police he had revealed during their meal that he was stressed by debts and family issues.
Police would be summoning more people for detailed interviews and contact the deceased man’s relatives to collect the body later for religious rites.
