Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Thai Police Officer Surrenders After 18-Hour School Shooting Standoff
A police officer in Thailand was accused of shooting his wife at a kindergarten.
The kindergarten was in Chonburi province, east of Bangkok.
About 44 children were at the school when the shooting happened.
They were all taken to safety.
The officer then went to his home.
Police surrounded the home for 18 hours.
He finally surrendered after his police-officer son persuaded him.
Police recovered the suspected gun, but they do not yet know why the killing happened.
Pol Sub-Lt Thatsaphong Thongthat allegedly shot and killed his wife at a kindergarten in Chonburi province.
The shooting occurred while about 44 students were at the school, and all were evacuated safely.
Police said the suspect fled to his home, where officers surrounded him during an 18-hour standoff.
He surrendered after continuous persuasion by his son, who is also a police officer, and the suspected gun was recovered.
The motive remains unknown as concerns grow over school safety and gun ownership in Thailand.
- Who
- Pol Sub-Lt Thatsaphong Thongthat, a police officer at Bang Lamung station, was identified as the suspected gunman; his wife was killed.
- What
- A suspected gunman allegedly killed his wife at a kindergarten and later surrendered after an 18-hour standoff.
- When
- The shooting occurred on Wednesday, followed by an overnight standoff lasting 18 hours.
- Where
- The shooting took place in a kindergarten in Chonburi province, about 150 kilometers southeast of Bangkok; the standoff occurred at the suspect’s home.
- Why
- The motive for the killing remains unknown.
- Suspect
- Pol Sub-Lt Thatsaphong Thongthat
- Occupation
- Police officer at Bang Lamung station
- Location
- Chonburi province, Thailand
- Students present
- About 44
- Student safety
- All students were evacuated safely
- Standoff duration
- 18 hours
- Weapon
- The suspected gun was recovered