Around 12.45am, Patong Police were alerted to the shooting on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, near the entrance to Bangla Rd and approximately 700 meters away from Patong Police Station.
By the time officers arrived at the scene, the suspected shooter had already left in his pink tuk-tuk with license plates FK 523 (For Khor 523), heading south. He was later identified as Kosit Phromphiwat, 36 years old.
Still at the scene was the victim, another tuk-tuk driver identified by Patong Police as Phongsak Pengporu, 42 years old. The man was shot once in the right side of his abdomen and once in his left thigh.
After searching the area, Patong Police officers found three .380-caliber cartridge cases and one bullet. The other two bullets are believed to be stuck in Mr Phongsak’s abdomen and thigh.
Photos from the scene show a police officer inspecting a red tuk-tuk with bullet holes in the windshield and in the driver’s side window.
As of 1.30pm today (Sept 3), Phuket officials had not released any information about Mr Phongsak’s condition. Phuket rescue workers, who arrived at the scene after the shooting and briefly reported the incident at 7.40am, did not provide any details about the severity of the injuries sustained.
Nothing has been reported regarding the results of the police’s efforts in tracking down Mr Kosit or the cause of the conflict between the two drivers of tourist-oriented public transport in Phuket’s renowned tourism city.
No report of this incident is available on Patong Police Station’s page on Facebook.