When the police got arrived at the temple, located opposite Soi Romanee on Dibuk Rd, people were still in shock. They spoke to a Chinese man, named by officers as Mr Dong, aged 40.
He told them, “I was attending my friend’s funeral when Mr Hao [also Chinese] whom I knew, came over to me and asked, ‘You think you’re really cool, don’t you? Trying to compete with me?’ I replied, ‘No, I’m not in the Buddhist amulets business.’
“After that, he punched me and kicked me, and one of his sidekicks punched me in the face, too. Luckily, my friend saved me.
“But then Hao ran to his car, took out a gun and aimed it at me. Somebody who saw this went to stop him but he handed the gun to his sidekick who fired it in the air before they both left in a black Hyundai car.”
The police are now looking for Mr Hao and his “sidekicks” to get their side of the story.
Pol Col Sermpan Sirikong, Superintendent of Phuket City Police Station, said, “We have to collect evidence first. But I believe [the dispute] had more to do with tour business than with amulets. But we need to call the people involved, along with witnesses to the incident.”
It is understood that Mr Hao is a businessman with powerful connections in Thailand.