PATTAYA — In the early hours of April 19, an intoxicated police officer allegedly shot and killed a cannabis shop owner on the city’s famous Walking Street, in a brazen attack that witnesses say unfolded after the victim tried to calm the officer down and pleaded with him to put away his gun.

Iraqi Tourist Fatally Shot in Phuket; Colombian Suspect Captured

The shooting occurred at approximately 1:06 a.m. behind a cannabis shop inside the Walking Street entertainment zone in South Pattaya. The victim, identified as 41-year-old Pattaratorn Jirachokchaikul, the owner of the establishment, suffered two gunshot wounds from an 11mm firearm below his left chest. He was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment but later died from his injuries.

The suspect was immediately detained at the scene by bystanders and later confirmed to be a police officer attached to Pattaya City Police Station. Authorities identified him as Police Sub-Lieutenant Jirasak Srikhathanam, 54, also known as “Sergeant Joe,” who held the position of Deputy Inspector in the Investigation Division. According to police sources, the suspect had only recently completed a police officer training course last year and was generally known among his colleagues as a hardworking and polite officer, making the alleged crime all the more shocking to those who knew him.

Witnesses at the scene painted a disturbing picture of the events leading up to the fatal shooting. They said the officer was heavily intoxicated and had begun threatening people in the area with his firearm, allegedly firing into a nearby entertainment venue though no one was injured in that initial discharge. According to multiple witnesses, the victim attempted to calm the volatile situation by raising his hands in a respectful wai gesture and asking the officer to put away his gun. Instead of de-escalating, the officer allegedly fired two shots directly at the cannabis shop owner, causing him to collapse on the spot. Witnesses also claimed that after the shooting, the suspect grabbed the victim’s mobile phone and threw it into the sea before attempting to walk away from the scene. Bystanders intervened and physically restrained him until police arrived.

Pattaya policeman charged after Walking Street murderhttps://t.co/j0QZb5NEpi pic.twitter.com/w5n0bPwBxc

— Bangkok Post Learning (@post_learning) April 20, 2026

At 9:00 a.m. on April 19, the Pattaya City Police Chief confirmed that the suspect was indeed an officer under his command and announced that serious disciplinary and criminal proceedings had been initiated. The officer has been charged with murder, discharging a firearm in a public place, and carrying a firearm in public without reasonable cause. A disciplinary investigation has been launched, and the officer has already been dismissed from duty pending the outcome of both the criminal and administrative proceedings.

Police said the incident reportedly began with an argument during a drinking session, but investigators are continuing to examine the full circumstances that led to the fatal shooting. Investigators are relying heavily on closed-circuit television footage from the area, which reportedly shows the victim trying to stop the suspect and even attempting to take the gun away from him before he was shot, suggesting a desperate final struggle to prevent the tragedy.

Police sources revealed that the suspect showed little remorse after being detained. He allegedly argued with senior officers, refused to be handcuffed, and claimed he was an undercover investigator. Some officers at the scene reportedly said they did not recognize him despite his claim that he worked in the investigation division. After formal questioning, the suspect was taken into custody, informed of the serious charges against him, formally removed from duty, and placed in a detention cell.

Famous Korat Band Leader Shot Dead on Roadside

The case has sent shockwaves through Pattaya’s law enforcement community and the city’s entertainment district alike. For a police officer to allegedly commit such a brazen and violent act in full view of dozens of witnesses, while in uniform and carrying a service weapon, has raised urgent questions about supervision, alcohol use among off-duty officers, and the procedures for carrying firearms. For the family and friends of Pattaratorn Jirachokchaikul, a 41-year-old businessman who simply tried to defuse a dangerous situation, the answers to those questions will come too late. He is dead, and the man accused of killing him is a fellow officer of the law.

-Thailand News (TN)