National park ranger allegedly kills self after stabbing colleague in Kanchanaburi forest
A park ranger of Khao Laem National Park in Kanchanaburi’s Sangkhla Buri District reportedly stabbed another ranger on Thursday (November 25) before fatally shot himself, said Thewin Meesub, chief of the national park on Friday.
“After we learned of the incident via radio communication, we contacted the 9th Infantry Regiment to dispatch a helicopter on Thursday’s evening to pick up the body of deceased ranger, Kathawut (last name withheld), who was shot by an unknown gun, and an injured ranger, Phakphum (last name withheld), who was stabbed with a knife,” he said. “The rescue was slow and difficult as both rangers were in deep forest where the chopper could not land.
“At 9am of today (November 26) rescue staff reported that Phakphum was now stable after they successfully reached him on foot and gave him treatment,” he added. “Officials said that they expected to start the evacuation of the injured ranger and the body by chopper in the afternoon.”
Thewin added that the two rangers were on a mission to install cameras in the forest to study tigers and other animals in the southern part of Khao Laem National Park. “Park officials will investigate the cause of the incident, but we suspected that they both were quarrelling before Kathawut stabbed Phakphum and then shot himself,” he said.
