The victim died of wounds to his shoulder.
Lt Col Viwat Chamnangit told The Phuket News, “There was heavy rain when we got to the soi and the water was up to thigh level, which made it hard for us to reach the shack, about two kilometres from the main road.”
As a result, police waited for Kusoldharm rescue workers to bring out the body of the victim, identified as Samingdum Polwong, 32, from Mukdahan.
“He was hit in the left shoulder with nine shotgun pellets fired from a homemade gun,” Col Viwat said after questioning a woman who said she was the girlfriend of the shooter.
She told the police that Mr Samingdum and the shooter, named as Ongart Meetab, had argued fiercely after drinking rice spirit.
“Mr Samingdum spat at Ongart so Ongart then shot him. After Ongart saw what he had done, he tried to carry Mr Samingdum to hospital but it was too late,” Col Viwat explained.
Realising that he had killed his friend, Ongart ran away.
“It won’t be hard to arrest him,” Col Viwat said. “He has been arrested by Phuket City Police before, so we have all his details.”
An alert has gone out to all police stations to keep a lookout for Ongart.