Court sentences 11 students to death for rival wedding shooting

The Criminal Court read the verdict on September 25 in a case brought by the Public Prosecutor of Criminal Case 4 against 14 defendants: Chananchit, Wacharapong, Pattaranai, Thanawut, Sahatsawat, Natthapat, Yosaphon, Chutiwat, Natthawut, Panithan, Pongpol, Natchapon, Itthisak, and Suphapong.

They were charged with conspiring to murder with premeditation, attempted murder, and carrying firearms in public without permission.

The prosecution stated that the 14 defendants, former or current students of a well-known technology institute in Pathumwan, Bangkok, conspired to kill students or graduates from Rajamangala University of Technology  Tawan-ok, Uthenthawai Campus, due to ongoing conflicts between the two institutions spanning several decades.

On August 14, 2022, the defendants, armed with three unregistered handguns and 12 .38 shotgun shells, opened fire at a wedding celebration in the Sutthisarn area, Bangkok, where several Rajamangala University graduates were present. One guest, Natthawut, was killed, and three others were seriously injured.

The defendants later hid evidence by burning clothing and a motorcycle used in the crime.

The court considered the substantial evidence, including CCTV footage from before, during, and after the incident, which supported the prosecution's case. It was determined that the defendants planned the attack as an act of revenge following the killing of a student from the same technology college in July 2022.

The court sentenced 11 defendants to death for premeditated murder, the most severe charge under Section 90 of the Penal Code. However, the defendants’ testimony was deemed helpful, and their sentences were reduced to life imprisonment.

The defendants were also ordered to pay 1,677,400 baht in compensation to the deceased's mother.

The court acquitted 3 defendants due to insufficient evidence.

Mothers of Victims Speak Out on Justice and Rivalry

Following the verdict, three mothers whose children were victims of violence stemming from a long-standing rivalry between technical institutes shared their perspectives.

Mother of Natthawut

Rujalak, Natthawut's mother, thanked the court, prosecutors, and police for a fair verdict. "We're grateful for the justice we've received," she said. "We lost our son, and there are many others who've gone through similar tragedies without a fair outcome. We hope they can receive justice, too."

She clarified that her son was not a student at Uthenthawai but was shot while attending a wedding. She expressed her wish for the rivalry to end. "Both institutions produce capable people. The conflict might be due to a misguided ideology passed down by older students. Losing a child is a terrible pain, and I want it to stop."

Mother of Thanasorn

Two assailants opened fire at Thanasorn while he was walking with a friend outside the TMBThanachart Bank  (TTB) in Klongtoey, Bangkok, on the morning of November 11, 2023. However, the bullets missed their target and hit Sirada or "Teacher Jeab," who was withdrawing money from an ATM, causing her death at the scene. Thanasorn later died from his injuries. This incident sparked a public outcry, with society calling for serious action to address the ongoing conflicts between rival institutions.

Pornpimon Prajummuang, the mother of Thanasorn, thanked the court for delivering justice for Natthawut and offered her support to Rujalak. She revealed a critical detail: "Two of the suspects in this case were released on bail after shooting Natthawut at the wedding. They then went on to shoot my son and teacher Jeab."

She noted that the two individuals who shot her son and teacher Jeab were sentenced to death by the lower court. However, over 20 other co-defendants were granted bail and are currently awaiting a verdict from the Appeals Court. Pornpimon expressed her frustration, saying she constantly wonders why they were granted bail in the first place.

Mother of Ter

Sasima Sutthikul, the mother of another victim named "Ter," spoke of a similar but different tragic outcome for her family.

Her son was also shot and killed at a birthday party at her house, despite not being a Uthenthawai student; he was only friends with someone from that university.

She expressed her disappointment that the Samut Prakan Provincial Court acquitted the suspects in her son's case, despite evidence such as CCTV footage and fingerprints found in the car. "It was like a murder with no one held responsible," she said.

"My son was running and begging for his life, but he was shot five more times, severing a major artery. The doctor said he would have survived with just one gunshot." She concluded by pleading for justice for her son as well.