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Published on February 8, 2008

Charnwut Tangworrawat, 30, said he had fired at the men, who work for Thanachart Bank, in self-defence after they initially forced open his truck and one of them flashed his pistol when he confronted them.

Two bullets from Charnwut's US-made M-3 submachine gun hit the pickup but did not injure anyone. He later fled and was hidden briefly by his brother-in-law Sathit Benjaphan, before surrendering to Bang Kruay police at a Nonthaburi location.

Charnwut, a used-car dealer, was charged with attempted murder and possessing a military weapon, and Sathit, 24, with sheltering a criminal suspect. Wicharn Kluekan, 36, one of the Thanachart Bank employees, was charged with possessing a firearm without permission.

According to a police report, Charnwut bought the vehicle from a friend who had stopped paying for it through Thanachart-assisted instalments eight months ago.

The three men were not charged with illegally acquiring property in their forced possession of the pickup.

The Nation