Bloody Clash at Sunday Market

The bloody clash, which took place early Tuesday, left two people in critical conditions. 

One of them, 35-year-old Thiti Saengboonchan, sustained a serious knife wound around the nape of his neck.

Pol Lt Col Wanchai Chujit, an inspector at the Bang Sue Police Station, said Thiti was attacked after he shot Permsap Rungsaeng, 20.

"Thiti was guarding the Sunday Market when a group of workers from Thanasarnsombat Company arrived to dismantle a house inside the market," Wanchai said.

Thanasarnsombat Company has won the license to operate the plot on which the Sunday Market has been located from the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).

However, after winning the license, stall owners in the market have refused to relocate and have often confronted workers and officials from the Thanasarnsombat Company.

Permsap was from the company.

Wanchai said the shooting was heard at around 2 am, about two hours after police mediated a conflict between Thiti's group and Permsap's group. The Thanasarnsombat Company wanted to remove the house in the market, but Thiti's group resisted.

"During the mediation, it was agreed that the company will start the dismantling around midday instead. But then, the confrontation erupted," Wanchai said.

He said police would question both Thiti and Permsap over what exactly happened when both recovered enough to testify.

The Nation