The quiet hum of a petrol station coffee shop in Bueng Sam Phan district, Phetchabun, was shattered on the evening of August 12 when a brief visit turned into a fatal confrontation. What began as an ordinary Mother’s Day afternoon ended in tragedy: 19-year-old employee Phijittra was shot and killed, and the suspected shooter, 21-year-old Wongsakorn, took his own life at the scene.
Police Lieutenant Sakkasit Kaosinchai of Bueng Sam Phan Police Station arrived on the scene at roughly 5:30 p.m., accompanied by the on-duty doctor from Bueng Sam Phan Hospital. Officers found both victims unresponsive. A Thai-made firearm was recovered beside the bodies and secured as evidence.
Witnesses described a harrowing sequence of events. The suspect — who is reported to have been Phijittra’s former boyfriend — entered the coffee shop without speaking, approached her and fired a single shot. Phijittra, attempting to flee and cry out for help, hid behind the counter; the assailant pursued her and fired again. She collapsed. The man then turned the weapon on himself.
The tragedy struck families and staff like a lightning bolt. Phijittra’s parents rushed to the petrol station as news spread. The timing, coinciding with Mother’s Day, compounded the anguish: her mother fainted from the shock, while her 50-year-old father, Jitsak, told reporters he had dropped his daughter off at work that very morning, blissfully unaware of what was to come.
Identifying the gunman only by the name “Kai,” Jitsak revealed that the young man had previously taken part in a traditional wrist-tying ceremony with his daughter — a customary event intended to bless and strengthen relationships. According to the father’s account and preliminary police notes, the couple’s relationship dissolved about a month ago amid unspecified problems. Investigators suspect that an attempt by the man to reconcile with Phijittra at her workplace escalated into the fatal confrontation.
Local officers from Bueng Sam Phan police station have stated they will continue collecting evidence and conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the shootings. Authorities are piecing together witness statements, CCTV footage from the petrol station, and forensic findings to build a clearer timeline of the events.
As community members process the shocking news, questions linger about warning signs, relationship breakdowns, and the pressures that can precede violent acts. Family members and co-workers described Phijittra as a young woman doing her best to balance work and life — an everyday person caught in an incomprehensible moment of violence.
For a small town like Bueng Sam Phan, such an event reverberates well beyond the immediate circle. Petrol station patrons, coworkers, and neighbors now face the difficult task of mourning while searching for answers. Community leaders and local authorities have urged calm and cooperation with investigators as they work to unravel what happened and why.
News outlet KhaoSod first reported the incident, and police continue to provide updates as they become available. In the aftermath, many have called for renewed attention to conflict resolution, mental health support, and resources for those experiencing relationship difficulties.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or struggling with feelings of loneliness, despair, or crisis, please seek help. The Samaritans of Thailand operate a 24-hour hotline at 02 713 6791 (English) and 02 713 6793 (Thai). The Thai Mental Health Hotline is also available at 1323 (Thai).
This story is a painful reminder of how quickly life can change. Behind the headlines are grieving families and a community seeking solace. Authorities continue their work, and family, friends, and neighbors are left to pick up the pieces and remember a young woman whose life was cut short on an otherwise ordinary day.
This is heartbreaking and it makes me think about gun access. If weapons were harder to get maybe this wouldn’t happen, even in small towns. We need practical policy, not just thoughts and prayers.
You can’t pin every violent act on guns alone; relationship dynamics and mental health play huge roles. Banning things rarely fixes the root causes without social support systems.
I agree root causes matter, but availability amplifies harm quickly. Both prevention and sensible restrictions can coexist without sweeping bans.
Guns or no guns, people snap. It’s scary either way.
Grower134, statistics show availability correlates with lethality, not inevitability. Policy and culture both matter.
This reads like a failure of social safety nets and personal supports. A 19-year-old shouldn’t be in a situation where a breakup leads to murder-suicide. We need better mental health outreach, especially for men who might bottle things up.
As a clinician I see gaps daily, especially in rural areas where stigma prevents help-seeking. Hotlines are good but community-based interventions are essential.
Exactly, a hotline isn’t enough if people don’t trust or know about the services. Schools, workplaces, and religious centers should all be part of prevention.
Training staff at small businesses to spot warning signs could save lives. Employers have a responsibility too.
This is so sad. She was just a kid and now it’s gone.
Her family must be devastated, and the timing on Mother’s Day makes it even crueler. Small towns feel these losses deeply.
Yeah, I grew up in a town like that and everyone remembers these things for years. It’s like the innocence of the place is lost.
Makes you rethink going out alone sometimes.
I’m curious about the investigative timeline and handling of evidence. CCTV, witness statements, and forensic analysis will be key, but transparency is crucial to prevent rumors. I hope authorities publish clear findings.
Police will likely be careful with details until the forensic report, but timely updates reduce speculation. Accountability in small communities matters more than ever.
Agreed, secrecy breeds conspiracy. Even a basic timeline and confirmation of evidence chain would help the family and the public.
Investigations require balancing privacy and public interest. Overexposure can retraumatize families, so thoughtful communication is best practice here.
I just want to know they are doing it right. The family deserves answers, not rumors.
As someone who lost a friend young, I can’t imagine the parents’ pain. Little details—like dropping her off that morning—make it painfully real. My heart goes out to them.
That detail is haunting. It shows how ordinary the morning was and how suddenly tragedy can strike, which is unbearably cruel.
Thank you, Mai. It’s hard not to replay the harmless moments and wish you’d done something different, even if you couldn’t have known.
Grief is communal in small towns; rituals and collective mourning can help, but sometimes people need professional help too.
This incident raises broader questions about masculinity, conflict resolution, and community structures in modern Thailand. When a relationship ends, some men perceive loss of honor and lack socially acceptable outlets for emotion. Addressing gender norms is as important as mental health services.
Gender norms are definitely a factor. Training young men in emotional literacy should be part of school curricula to prevent these tragedies.
Implementing curricula is complex but feasible, and NGOs plus government programs could pilot such education in high-risk areas.
Cultural change is slow; policy interventions need to be immediate and long term simultaneously. Both matter.
I can’t help but feel angry at the ex-boyfriend. No reconciliation attempt justifies murder. He should have left if he couldn’t handle rejection.
Anger is natural, but we should ask why he reacted violently instead of only condemning him. Understanding causation helps prevention.
I get that, but empathy for perpetrators has limits when a young life was taken. There must be consequences and community catharsis.
Consequences are complicated if he’s dead, though. It’s more about warning others and supporting the victim’s family.
Criminal justice can’t punish a dead man, so focus should be on prevention and supporting survivors and families now.
We need to look at how the community responds after such events. Will people talk openly about warning signs or will they hush it up to ‘protect the family’? Culture of silence can allow patterns to repeat.
Open dialogue is crucial but delicate. Victim-blaming and rumor-spreading are risks, so structured community forums with professionals could help.
Yes, professional moderation prevents gossip and ensures respectful, constructive conversation rather than blame games.
Community forums work when paired with clear referral pathways to care. Talk without action is insufficient.
Women in public-facing jobs often face vulnerability, and safety protocols at petrol stations should be reviewed. Employers need clear procedures to protect staff during uncomfortable interactions.
Protocols are good but enforcement and training matter. A checklist isn’t helpful if staff are alone or afraid to escalate.
Training, panic alarms, and visible cameras can deter violence and help evidence collection. Simple measures are sometimes highly effective.
Physical measures complement social ones. But remember, infrastructure investments require funding and political will in smaller districts.
This is awful. Feels like the world is getting meaner.
It can feel that way, but sometimes these tragedies spark needed reforms and community care. Hope isn’t gone yet.
I hope so. I just wish there were clearer ways to stop something like this before it starts.
Media outlets often scatter details too fast and fans the flames of speculation. Responsible reporting is necessary to avoid retraumatizing families and spreading misinformation.
KhaoSod reported first, but other outlets repeated with added conjecture. It did feel invasive for the family.
Exactly. There’s a balance between informing the public and protecting privacy, and I think many outlets cross that line for clicks.
Police briefings can help, but rushed press releases without context also contribute to confusion. Media and authorities should coordinate.
Ethical journalism training and editorial restraint would go a long way in preventing harm after such incidents.
Do we know if CCTV captured everything and whether it was handled correctly? Chain of custody for that footage matters if questions arise later. Transparency about evidence preservation will build trust.
From what police typically do, footage is secured quickly, but every case is different. Families often request copies and investigators balance that with legal needs.
Thanks for the insight. Public trust hinges on both proper procedure and openness about those procedures.
If CCTV is clear it can end many rumors and help the grieving family understand the sequence without relying on hearsay.