The knife-wielding man was identified as Niwes Jaikong, 32. He was jobless and had often been seen sniffing glue.

Bystanders surrounded and violently subdued Niwes, who was unconscious by the time police arrived on the scene. He underwent an emergency operation at Police General Hospital.

"He looked drug-crazed when he went to his mother for money, and when she refused, he went for her, and she dashed out and hid behind a likay opera stage," said witness Ruangrak Saengpha.

According to Ruangrak, Niwes ran after his mother but could not find her. He then turned on Sangwan Boonkua, a former likay lead and now director of the troupe, who was eating noodles nearby.

Sangwan, 45, was stabbed some 20 times and died on the spot.

Ruangrak said Niwes had then left the stage area and attacked Kwan Bamrungkhet, an 18-year-old passerby.

"Some people who saw it screamed and called for help, and some were too shocked to utter a word," Ruangrak said.

Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, Kwan succumbed to his injuries.

Ruangrak said that after Niwes had finished with Kwan he ran into a shop owned by Panich Dechatungkha, 52.

Niwes was stabbing Panich when the latter's children, Chatuthat and Chatnapha, came to his aid, Ruangrak said. Panich and Chatuthat, 22, were seriously injured while Chatnapha, 24, sustained a wound to her right arm in the struggle.

"Then he ran into another shop," Ruangrak said. She said people who took care of that shop's owner, Prasit Chuenjit, 72, whose legs had been amputated because of diabetes, tried to help the old man to flee but were overpowered.

"He just pushed them aside and stabbed him," she said.

Niwes then rushed out of the shop and stabbed three more victims, Boonrod Pokkla, 30, Phon Khamsathien, 42, and Pansak Lakhana, 25.

Boonrod and Phon were seriously injured and sent to an intensive-care unit, while Pansak sustained minor injuries to his arms and hands.

Another witness, Krissada Taeng-ngarm, 36, said he had seen Niwes speeding out of the stage area knife in hand.

"I immediately phoned the police and got neighbours to help me pull him down," Krissada said. He said it had taken more than an hour for the police to arrive.

Kaew Boonkua, a son of Sangwan, said the family opera troupe had been playing to the community since April 17.

Laem Permboon, a friend of Sangwan, said Sangwan had been dubbed "Somsak Pakditheva II" because of his resemblance to the likay star of that name.

Tha Rua police superintendent Thaksin Puang-ngern said the public had to detain Niwes as there was just one police officer in the nearest police booth at the time.

"Police arrived late because they had to wait for a doctor [to join them] to conduct autopsies for them," Thaksin said.