Mr. Natthaphon Chamlongraks : “Pattaya Teenager Groups Clash: Man Injured”

Two groups of teenagers in Pattaya were involved in a violent clash in the early hours of Sunday morning, resulting in a 19-year-old man being shot in the leg.

On May 19th, 2024, at 2:00 AM, Banglamung Police Station received reports of a brawl between two rival teenage groups. Police officers quickly responded to the scene at Charoensuk 4 Village and discovered a large group of Thai teenagers.

The injured individual, identified as 19-year-old Mr. Natthaphon Chamlongraks, had sustained a gunshot wound to his right thigh and was taken to Banglamung Hospital by his friends before authorities arrived.

According to a 16-year-old friend of the victim, known as Mr. P, the group had been celebrating a friend’s birthday before deciding to go on a motorbike ride around Pattaya City. Mr. P claimed that his group fired a cap gun while passing by a rival group’s residence. In retaliation, the rival group allegedly fired three live rounds, one of which struck Mr. Natthaphon’s leg. The injured teenager was rushed to the hospital by his companions without waiting for police assistance.

Upon further investigation, Banglamung police discovered a homemade bomb hidden in a flower pot at the residence of the rival group. The homeowner, whose identity was withheld by the police, stated that the victim’s group had previously thrown explosives at their house on multiple occasions. However, the homeowner denied that anyone from their house had fired a gun at the victim.

A 15-year-old friend of the homeowner’s son, known as Mr. Ball, recounted seeing the victim’s group while leaving a convenience store. He claimed that they followed him back to the house, where one of them allegedly pointed a gun at his brother’s wife. Mr. Ball stated that they initially ignored the incident, but the victim’s group then threw a bomb at them, prompting his brother’s friend to fire a gun towards the attackers.

Mr. Ball mentioned that he did not know the name of his brother’s friend who fired the gun. Banglamung police are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the scene to gather further evidence for the ongoing investigation. Both groups involved in the clash have been taken in for questioning to determine the true motive behind the violent altercation.