A local council member in Buriram has been called in for questioning after a video surfaced showing him firing several shots into the air during a brawl between teenagers at a parade yesterday, July 8. He admitted he did it to stop the fight.
The incident took place in front of a parade vehicle at Ban Nong Makhuea Mai village hall, Buriram province. The person in the video, identified as 55 year old Prakong, a council member in Buriram, confessed that the event occurred on July 4 during his nephew’s ordination ceremony.
The host had hired a parade vehicle to entertain the guests. As the event neared its end, Prakong was about to head home when a relative informed him of a brawl involving about ten teenagers in front of the parade vehicle.
Prakong tried to intervene but was ignored. He then resorted to firing a blank gun into the air, shooting once initially. When the teens continued fighting, he fired twice more into the air, which eventually dispersed the crowd.
Following the incident, he went to Nong Song Hong Police Station to explain his actions to Police Colonel Anan Thongbanteng and handed over the .38 revolver and six blank cartridges, stating he had no intention to harm anyone.
A singer from the parade team, 21 year old Sutthiphat, shared his account of the event. He explained that the performance began at 8.30am, and they reached the temple by 11am. With about 30 minutes remaining, the host requested them to continue playing at the village hall. Shortly after resuming, a fight broke out among the teenagers.
Take cover
Fearing the situation might escalate, Sutthiphat recorded the incident on his phone as evidence. During the chaos, an unidentified man in a white t-shirt fired two shots into the air. Although it was unclear whether the gun was real or fake, attendees and the parade team took cover, fearing stray bullets, said Sutthiphat.
“People come to these ceremonies to have fun, not to fight. It’s dangerous and ruins the event for everyone.”
The head of a local village, Suri Panoram commented that such fights are rare in their community. The event, being relatively small, was usually managed internally. She vouched for Prakong, describing him as a well-respected and non-violent member of the village who abstains from alcohol.
The police will send the gun to the forensic unit to verify its type and legality. Once the results are in, appropriate charges will be pressed, reported KhaoSod.
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