The Thai killer groom

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THE story was beyond bizarre: in a chilling turn of events, a wedding quickly turned into a funeral. The details are dastardly: the wedding massacre in Thailand left five people dead after an apparently inebriated groom grabbed his gun and pumped bullets into his bride, his mother-in-law and guests, and then proceeded to take his own life. The shooting rampage, which reportedly took place on Saturday, November 25, at a house in the Wang Nam Khieo district of northeastern Thailand, occured after Chaturong Suksuk, 29, an ASEAN Para Games silver medalist, was heard arguing with his wife, Kanchana Pachunthuek, 44, allegedly about insecurities over his condition. Guests and relatives were said to have observed that Chaturong, an ex-soldier, looked angry after a row with his bride. He would later storm out of the venue, head to his car and return with a 9mm pistol. At the end of the tragic episode, Kanchana Pachunthuek, her 62-year-old mother, Kingthong Klajorho, and her 38-year-old sister, Kornika Manator, all lay lead. Witnesses said stray bullets hit two other guests, killing one of them, Thong Nonkhunthod, 50, and injuring another, Bamrung Chaterarat, 28.

Matichon Wongbaokul, a police officer from the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, said of the deceased couple: “They had an argument on private matters and Chaturong walked to his car and picked up a gun before shooting.” Thai police said that Chaturong “was quite intoxicated at the time,” and had bought the gun and ammunition legally last year. Chaturong and Kanchana had lived together for three years before the wedding ceremony. As a swimmer, the killer groom had won two silver medals at the 2022 ASEAN Para Games in Indonesia and Cambodia. A Thai army ranger, Chaturong had lost his right leg while on patrol on the borders, and had subsequently been honourably discharged from military duties.

To say the very least, this story is confounding. Surely, a decorated para-athlete murdering his bride and three other people at his own wedding reception before turning his gun on himself is not a routinely observed sight, and it throws up intricate issues that must be unpacked. In the first instance, it seems pretty obvious that an alcohol-fuelled binge is not a good thing anywhere, not least a wedding. For obvious reasons, the event that was supposed to be a joyous encounter, one to remember for many years to come, but which turned out to be unmitigated disaster, will not be forgotten in a hurry. It is distressing that an innocent bride and her family members met their end at the hands of a drunken groom whose moment of madness cost multiple souls too dearly. When the details of this dastardly episode are further distilled, it is not impossible that episodes of drug abuse will be uncovered, which would be a pointer to the inherent dangers in that vice.

Beyond this, however, lies the question of the breakdown of family values and vigilance in romantic relationships. If Chaturong could kill five people, including himself, in a fit of rage, it opens up questions about the danger signals that his bride and live-in lover of three years apparently ignored. It is true, as the saying goes, that there is no art to discern the mind’s construction in the face, but it is also true that life is constantly imperilled without vigilance. As we have said time and again, history and current realities necessarily impose a duty of vigilance on people entering into romantic relationships, especially marriage. To say the very least, people ought to be fairly certain about the mental health of the person they are hooking up with, if only to prevent the proverbial “stories that touch.” That kind of vigilance, regardless of the cost in terms of emotional strain, has the potentiality to alert them to danger and compel a different course of action.

To be sure, the story illustrates the dilemma that many societies face as a result of the collapse of family values. If anything, it is doubtful that a well brought up, decent and disciplined individual would engage in excessive drinking at a wedding, let alone turn it into a funeral. This is why we have always called on the authorities, in relation to Nigeria, to pay attention to the question of the values that held the African society together for ages, but which seem to be increasingly under assault. In this regard, the Osun State command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) deserves plaudits for aborting a planned drug-fuelled orgy about to be staged in a part of the state recently. By arresting the youth who were planning to stage a drug-fuelled party and recovering drugs from them, the NDLEA not only saved the affected area from possible crisis, it also saved the planners of that party from themselves. This is a proactive step that must be commended, and the agency should not rest on its oars.

Ultimately, though, the global society would have to work on bringing back traditional values and making the society safe to live in. We commiserate with the families affected by the Thailand shooting incident and pray that they will have the fortitude to survive the terrible ordeal.

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