PATHUM THANI – At least 17 schools in Pathum Thani and adjacent Nonthaburi were ordered to suspend classes on Wednesday as authorities intensified efforts to track down an armed man believed to be on the run following a series of violent incidents stemming from a family dispute.

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Pathum Thani police confirmed they are searching for a man in his 30s, identified as Nopparat Jinto, also known as “L,” who is suspected of opening fire on a rescue vehicle and later taking his father-in-law hostage. Authorities believe the suspect remains armed.

The first incident occurred shortly before midnight on February 15 on Highway No. 7, when rescue workers stopped to inspect a pickup truck parked in an emergency lane. The suspect allegedly fired two shots at the rescue vehicle, damaging its tyres, before fleeing into nearby woodland. Officers later discovered a large quantity of fresh kratom leaves inside the abandoned pickup truck. The suspect’s wife managed to escape unharmed during the incident.

At approximately 2 a.m. on February 17, the man reportedly returned to his home in Lat Lum Kaeo district of Pathum Thani and forced his father-in-law into a vehicle in an apparent attempt to pressure his wife to meet him. The father-in-law later escaped by jumping from the vehicle when it slowed down. Police searched the house later that morning, but the suspect escaped through a window carrying a firearm.

Authorities have stressed that the case stems from domestic conflict and that there is no evidence of any plan to attack schools, countering rumours circulating on social media. No injuries have been reported in connection with the incidents.

An armed fugitive, wanted in connection with opening fire on a rescue vehicle and taking his father-in-law hostage, surrendered today in Pathum Thani province.

His actions had led to the closure of at least 20 schools in Pathum Thani and neighbouring Nonthaburi provinces, as he… pic.twitter.com/kPsg5awa1S

— Thai PBS World (@ThaiPBSWorld) February 18, 2026

Nevertheless, as a precautionary measure, at least 17 schools ordered an emergency one-day closure on Wednesday to ensure student and staff safety. The Ministry of Education announced the closures on its official Facebook page, listing affected schools in the Lat Lum Kaeo area.

The decision follows heightened anxiety after last week’s deadly shooting at a school in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, in which a teenage gunman killed a school director and injured several students, making authorities particularly cautious about potential threats to educational institutions.

LATEST UPDATE: Nopparat Jinto surrendered to police on Wednesday afternoon, according to multiple news reports. He turned himself in at the Pathum Thani Provincial Police Head Office at approximately 4 p.m. after contacting Pol Lt Gen Khamronwit Thupkrajang, president of the Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization, to facilitate his surrender.

During his surrender, Nopparat explained that he decided to give himself up because he realized his escape had caused panic, leading to the closure of several schools and disrupting students’ education. “I have children of my own, and I never imagined that my actions would cause such a huge disturbance to students,” he told reporters.

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Police confirmed that Nopparat will face multiple charges, including unlawfully detaining his wife, injuring her, and firing at a rescue official on the motorway in Chon Buri. A search of his residence earlier had uncovered seven firearms, though it remains unclear how many he was carrying when he surrendered.

-Thailand News (TN)