Three students were shot dead and their motorcycle set on fire in the early hours of Tuesday after a crash involving a BMW sedan in Khao Phanom district of Krabi province.
A 42-year-old man was later arrested after police surrounded a car tyre shop in Khao Phanom.
A black BMW with Bangkok licence plates was found parked in the shop garage.
The Pracharuamjai rescue foundation was informed of a multiple fatal shooting on the Khao Phanom-Thung Yai Road in tambon Phru Tiew in Khao Phanom district about 1.29am on Tuesday.
Police and rescue workers rushed to the scene and found three teenage students, a boy and two girls, lying dead in the roadside grass with gunshot wounds.
The dead boy was identified as Nonthaphan and the girls as Natnicha and Phanthira. All three were aged 18 years and were Mathayom Suksa 6 students at a high school in Khao Phanom district.
Police inquiries led investigators to a shop in tambon Phru Tiew around 7.20am.
Police called out for the shophouse owner, identified later as Theerasak Boonruang, 42, to come out and talk to them. At first, there was no response.
About one hour later, Mr Theerasak partly opened the door. When police ran to arrest him, he fled towards a side door, carrying a handgun. He dropped his gun after seeing his father standing near police. It was .357 calibre, police said. He was taken into custody.
There was a shotgun in the house and many .357 bullet casings were found scattered on the floor, which was riddled with bullet holes.
He allegedly admitted he took two methamphetamine pills on Monday night and drove the car from his wife’s house in tambon Khao Din back to his shophouse.
On the way, his car was involved in an accident with a motorcycle. He got out of the car and used a shotgun to fire shots at the three people on the bike.
Mr Theerasak was held in custody, police said.
Police said the slain students had left Phanthira’s home in tambon Phru Tiew on the motorcycle around midnight to sleep at Natnicha’s home in tambon Khao Phanom.
People driving on the road said they saw a motorcycle burning and stopped to check. They found the students dead on the roadside.
Credit Bangkok Post
