A Phuket-based minibus driver died early this morning (January 18) from injuries he sustained when anti-government protesters were attacked with a grenade yesterday.
Prakong Choojan, 44, originally from Nakorn Sri Thammarat, but working as a minibus driver based at the Royal Paradise Hotel in Patong, drove up to Bangkok on Tuesday (January 14) to join the Shut Down Bangkok protests.
The following day, in one of his last posts on Facebook, he wrote, “Going to try really hard but if we don’t win this round I’m not going back.”
Yesterday he joined a march headed by protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban. As the marchers passed an abandoned building on Bunthat Tong Rd a grenade was tossed from the second floor of an empty building next to the road. A total of 37 people, including Mr Prakong, were injured.
Shrapnel from the grenade tore into Mr Prakong’s chest. Thai Rat newspaper reported that he died in Ramathibodi Hospital at 1:30 this morning from acute renal failure after losing too much blood.
A niece of Mr Prakob, Lalintip Thongchuay, told The Phuket News this morning that the family expects his body to be returned to Phuket the day after tomorrow.
He is survived by his wife Thippayao two daughters aged 22 and 17 and seven-year-old son.
Mr Prakong is the ninth person to die since the Shut Down Bangkok protest began and dozens more have been injured. Explosives have been used in attacks on the homes of Mr Suthep, Democrat Party leaver Abhisit Vejjajiva and Bangkok Governor Sukhumphand Paribatra.
The Bangkok Post reported that, in a highly emotional speech after the attack, Mr Suthep said the grenade blast was the work of the government and called on the protesters to draw strength from it.
"The blood that spilt on the street is piercing my heart. What [the government] has done to the Thai people is cold-blooded. Let the pain remind us and give us strength to fight until we win," Mr Suthep told protesters at the Lumpini stage.
He denied he had been behind the grenade attack himself.
"I am not that kind [of person]. I don't kill my own supporters," he said.
Additional reporting: Thai Rat, Bangkok Post, AFP
Map below shows the site of the blast on Banthat Thong Rd.