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Published on August 24, 2007

The 100-strong Crime Suppression Division teams also seized large caches of legal firearms from the homes of the influential Yang-on and Sawetsilp families, but arrested no-one. The officers gave lectures to a representative of both clans and received their promise to end the bloody rivalry.

The teams searched seven premises belonging to the two clans, before they seized their weapons - to check if any had been used in recent crimes, apart from the six murders, which have yet to go to court due to lack of evidence.

Pol Lt General Thanee Thawitchasri, commander of Provincial Police Region 8, said local officers and the CSD would maintain joint surveillance of both families to make sure they kept their promise to end the violence.

Chaiya police chief Pol Colonel Chaisak Sinthusak said police would proceed to permanently confiscate authorised weapons from both families, as that was the most effective way to prevent bloodshed.

The Sawetsilp-Yang-on feud began around 10 years ago when the families grabbed empty land and later managed to obtain rightful ownership of the plots. The land skyrocketed in value because of its location on the Surat Thani coast. Blocks were later sold to property developers.

The first murder later took place after Suphachoke Yang-on, a former Takrob Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) official, was shot dead allegedly over business conflicts with a member of the Sawetsilp family, who was also gunned down not long afterwards.