CHONBURI — 10 September 2026, Police took a Bang Lamung Police officer who shot his wife, a teacher, at a kindergarten school, into custody after his son spent the night trying to persuade him to surrender.
Pol. Sub-Lt. Thatsaphong, known as “Pol. Lt. O,” a deputy investigation officer at Bang Lamung Police Station, walked out of his home and surrendered to police at about 06:20 on 10 September, ending an overnight standoff.
His son, Police Sgt. Rachata, known as “Folk”, had travelled back from southern Thailand after learning about the incident and spent the night outside the house trying to convince his father to give himself up.
At about 05:00, Rachata continued speaking to his father by telephone and through a loudspeaker for more than an hour. He urged him to come out and surrender, assuring him that no one would hurt him and asking him to trust the authorities.
At one point, Rachata told his father that they had only parted that morning, before the shooting occurred. He said that after learning what had happened, he turned back before reaching his posting in the South and immediately travelled back to see his father.
Thatsaphong initially answered his son’s calls and spoke with him privately but refused to leave the house.
Rachata then asked to meet his father in person. Under police supervision, the two agreed to walk out and meet halfway between the house and the designated area.
Their conversation lasted about 30 minutes before the negotiations succeeded. Thatsaphong eventually walked out of the house looking exhausted and was taken into custody without further violence or casualties.
Police then took him to Bang Lamung Police Station for questioning and further legal proceedings.
Bang Lamung police chief Pol. Col. Sarawut Nuchanart said the officer surrendered peacefully at about 06:20 after his son’s continued efforts to persuade him.
Thatsaphong was not carrying a firearm when he surrendered. He told police where he had left the weapon, allowing officers to locate it and collect it as evidence.
Sarawut said the suspect appeared exhausted and was still under considerable stress. Police would proceed with the investigation according to legal procedures.
The area around the officer’s home has since returned to normal and was declared safe, he said.
The surrender ended an overnight police operation that began after the fatal shooting on the morning of 9 September. Police had relied primarily on negotiations throughout the standoff, with the suspect ultimately agreeing to surrender following his son’s efforts.
