Mr Boonphrom Chupeng, 18, of Kathu, is in critical condition and being treated at Watchira Hospital after he was shot in his left jaw at around 5am this morning in front of a 7-11 convenience store on Soi Nanai 8 in Patong.
Having studied CCTV footage and spoken to eyewitnesses, police have identified and arrested the suspected shooter, who was nabbed at Phang Nga’s Kok Kloi bus station this morning at 8am.
From initial interrogations, police believe that the Mr Sakonrat Saeseu, 20, of Phuket’s Mueang district had mistaken Mr Boonphrom for someone else.
Nonetheless, police have booked the youth, seized the suspected weapon, and are waiting to process charges, which will be determined after police know whether the victim will survive or not.
Meanwhile, police have confirmed that a building leap suicide attempt in Patong early this morning was successful.
The deceased, Ms Ratiyakorn Sunarak, 23, of Sakhon Nakhon was said to have jumped off her 2nd floor building early this morning. Police were alerted of the incident at 4.40am.
Witnesses told police that Ms Ratiyakorn, who had long bleach blonde hair, had been in a fight with her boyfriend the night before.
The couple were said to live in the 2nd floor apartment room together.
Police believe that leading up to the incident, the woman was drinking beer in her room alone and angry because her boyfriend, who has not been named, could not take her out for the New Year’s countdown celebrations because he had to work.
Police are seeking the man for further questioning.
The two incidents in Patong follow another fatal shooting in Phuket Town late last night (story here), as well as the only confirmed fatal traffic accident yesterday, which involved a Mercedes Benz and motorbike and happened in the early hours of New Year’s Eve (story here).
Police report that there were a total of 18 road accidents yesterday, mostly involving drunk driving, and most of them involving Thais, the exceptions being one westerner and one Vietanamese.