BANGKOK — Two members of a motorcycle taxi stand have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in a deadly street skirmish with a rival stand that killed one and injured three on Saturday.
Pramuk Wichiandilokkun, 44, the leader of the Udomsuk Soi 1-2 motorcycle taxi stand, surrendered to the police on Thursday after being accused of conspiring in the homicide of Weerawat Phuengkhut.
Weerawat, 20, from a rival stand as well as a Kerry Express courier, was fatally shot in front of his house on Soi Udomsuk 1.
Another member of the Udomsuk Soi 1-2 stand, Wanchai Mongkolkhem, 36, was arrested earlier on Wednesday. He was accused of firing the fatal bullet, on the basis of CCTV footage.
The battle royale on Soi Sukhumvit 103, known locally as Soi Udomsuk, broke out on Saturday after a long period of enmity between the long-established Udomsuk Soi 1-2 and the new “Udomsuk Rungrueng” motorcycle taxi stands. The two blamed each other for stealing customers and took the brawl to the streets in the middle of the day.
In footage posted by Facebook user Jutarat Charoenphol, men in orange driver vests holding steel bars, batons, and knives confront each other. Police were at the scene but were outnumbered.
Though earlier media reports painted Weerawut as an innocent bystander, footage emerged on Sunday showing a man resembling Weerawat using a hammer to hit Pramuk during the brawl.
Weerawut’s mother denied her son’s involvement, but Bangna superintendent Police Col. Nakhon Thongpanich has confirmed that the man in the footage was Weerawat and that he was a member of Udomsuk Rungrueng.
Nakhon said on Wednesday that the Udomsuk Rungrueng stand was unlicensed and ordered that it be shut down. He also ordered that a police outpost be set up to prevent future conflict.
Another five men from the Udomsuk Soi 1-2 stand and one man from Udomsuk Rungrueng were arrested earlier on charges related to firearms.
Police are gathering evidence on other charges related to the violent brawl. Nakhon expects more warrants to be issued by next week.
