Thalang Police this morning (Oct 8) said the two suspects – Suthat Saarddee, 20, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and Jeerapong Jongchitklang, 21, of Nakhon Ratchasima – had been caught.
The two surrended themselves at Thalang Police Station, police confirmed.
The arrests of the two men follows police at 10pm last night publicly identifying the men as wanted for the fatal shooting.
Arrest warrants were issued for the two and relayed to all police stations in Phuket, Thalang Police said last night.
Chakrapong Pongphat, the 18-year-old son of the Thepkrasattri Moo 4 village headman (Phu Yai Baan), was gunned down in front of his home near the Baan Don Tesco Lotus store on the Ban Don - Cherng Talay Rd in Moo 4, Thepkrasattri just before 5pm on Saturday (Oct 6).
Bystanders rushed him to Thalang Hospital, but he was later transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Police said that Mr Chakrapong had returned home on his motorcycle after shopping with a friend, Pharadon Thavorn, on Saturday when he was shot.
The two were on the same motorcycle, with Pharadon riding pillion.
While the two were returning to Mr Chakrapong’s house, two men on a black motorcycle followed them, police said.
Chakrapong pulled up in front of his house and the two men on the black motorcycle pulled up just a few metres behind.
The driver of the black motorbike was not wearing a helmet, but his passenger was wearing a black helmet and black jacket, police added.
Mr Chakrapong got off his motorcycle to go into his house, when the man in the black helmet and jacket walked up to him and shot him once in the head.
The shooter then jumped back on the black motorbike and he and his accomplice sped off, police noted.
Police said that from their initial investigation the shooting seemed to be motivated by an “individual conflict and dark business”.
However, Phuket Provincial Police and Thalang Police both reported that they are operating a joint investigation and are questioning the two suspects to learn more about the deadly attack.