PATTAYA, Thailand – A late-night dispute between two men in a Pattaya bar escalated into gunfire in the early hours of Monday, leaving both men wounded in the street after three shots were fired, with police called to a fight outside a bar around 2:30 a.m. on South Pattaya Road in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district.

Man armed with shotgun in South Pattaya hunts for friend who left him at bar

Officers reported finding two injured men at the scene: 29-year-old Mongkol Khamprasong, who had a gunshot wound to his right calf, and 36-year-old Ratchaphon Namjaidee, who suffered facial swelling and a gunshot wound to his left foot. Mongkol’s girlfriend, who had attempted to intervene in the altercation, also suffered a head injury and was covered in blood.

Police found a firearm inside Mongkol’s nearby pickup truck and seized it for examination, while both men were initially taken to Pattaya City Hospital but were later treated at separate hospitals after their friends gathered in separate groups at the hospital, prompting staff to separate them for safety reasons. Ratchaphon’s relatives subsequently requested that he be transferred to Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.

During questioning, Mongkol appeared intoxicated and stated that he did not know who had started the argument at his table, saying that he had subsequently left the bar and went to his vehicle, which was then surrounded by Ratchaphon’s friends, and when he lowered the window to speak with them, they punched him and his girlfriend. Ratchaphon gave a different account, stating that he had gone into the bar and approached Mongkol’s group intending to greet a senior acquaintance, but Mongkol suddenly punched him without explanation, and he said the two had experienced problems with each other in the past, though he declined to disclose details.

Ratchaphon said he followed Mongkol outside after being assaulted, and when Mongkol got into his pickup truck, he attempted to stand in front of the vehicle to talk to him, but Mongkol then pulled out a firearm and fired three shots, with one bullet striking the back of his foot. Ratchaphon said he did not know how Mongkol was wounded, adding that he himself was not carrying a firearm.

Female Pattaya Bar Owner Shot Dead

Police said they would review security camera recordings from the scene, both inside and outside the bar, and examine the seized firearm before determining appropriate charges, while also noting that Mongkol’s social media profile includes posts involving firearms and suggests he is familiar with shooting and frequently carries a gun, details that would form part of the investigation. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about firearms and violence in Pattaya’s nightlife areas, as authorities work to piece together the events leading to the shooting.

-Thailand News (TN)