Jakkrit Nootad, was riding his motorbike from Patong back to his home at Kalim at around 10pm when another bike came up behind him.
The gunman, riding on the back of another bike, fired 11 shots from an 11mm pistol. Seven hit Mr Jakkrit in the back. He died on the way to Patong Hospital.
His sister Utumporn Nootas, 37, told The Phuket News that Mr Jakkrit had been fighting for more than 15 years for possession of a 10-rai plot of land in Kalim.
Ms Utumporn said Mr Jakkrit’s family had lived on the land since 1992, and after occupying it for 10 years, and with no other claimants stepping forward, applied for and received “hostile possession rights”, the first step towards registering a chanote in his name for the land.
Ms Utumporn said the developers showed up in 2009 and claimed the land was theirs. Jakkrit and his family were among 72 residents of the land who were put under pressure by the developers to pack up and leave.
As an incentive, the developers offered B30 million to the residents. All but Mr Jakkrit’s family accepted the offer.
She said the battle escalated to the point where the developers arrived one day in August last year with a backhoe and tore down Mr Jakkrit’s house.
Mr Jakkrit filed suit with the Phuket Provincial Court, and won the case, with the developer being ordered to pay him B9 million compensation for the demolition.
He was due to meet with the developers in a court-organised mediation session next Thursday (January 19).
Immediately after Mr Jakkrit’s murder Ms Utumporn lodged a complaint with Kathu Police Station.
Police are investigating.