Klong toei vendors link murders to market plan

Vendors at Klong Toei market yesterday take the bodies of two men working as their security guards to Parliament House in protest against their deaths on Wednesday. They demand the arrest of the gunman within seven days./Sakol Sandhiratne

A second man has been charged with wounding an offduty policeman in another shooting at the market.

Police say the wanted man, who worked as the chief guard for Legal Professional and was identified only as "Thorn", shot dead two men who were security guards hired by the vendors.

Suksant Seehalert, 36, died instantly, while Kanok Sukkaew, 43, was pronounced dead later at hospital.

The vendors linked the shootings to their conflict with the firm over its plan to redevelop the market.

Another security guard, also working for Legal Professional, has surrendered to police for allegedly shooting and injuring a policeman who moonlighted as a security guard for the vendors.

Sarawuth Saiprasom said he did not know that Pol Corporal Jaturong Thawornsab was a police officer. He said he shot Jaturong in self defence, claiming the policeman drew his pistol first.

Sarawuth has been charged with attempted murder and possessing and carrying firearms without permission.

Legal Professional won a concession from the Ports Authority of Thailand (PAT) to run the market after the previous concession ended last year. Vendors have been protesting at the deal, saying the firm won the contract unfairly and daily fees imposed by the new concessionaire are too high.

The vendors took the bodies of the two dead security men to Parliament House yesterday during the noconfi¬dence debate and called on the government to look into the problem. They also demanded the chairman of the PAT board of directors resign.

The vendors are demanding that the Port Authority's deal with Legal Professional be scrapped, and that the missing gunman Thorn be arrested within seven days.

They threatened to hold funerals for the shooting victims in the middle of a major intersection near the market in protest.