Suspended Army specialist Maj-General Khattiya Sawasdipol or Seh Daeng remains in a critical condition and might succumb to severe brain injuries at anytime, Vajira Hospital director Dr Chaiwan Jaroenchokethawee said yesterday.
“Our target now is to keep him alive, though the chance of him surviving is very low,” the doctor said.
Medication is keeping Khattiya’s blood pressure and his disseminated intravascular coagulation or blood-clotting systems stable, though he is on life support and his skull has been left open to accommodate swelling of the brain.
“The general conditions are better than in surgery, let’s say. But he remains in critical condition and is prone to succumb to wound trauma at any time,” Chaiwan said. “It would take a few days to conclude that he is out of danger.”
Chaiwan declined to comment on speculation that the chances of Khattiya surviving would be greater if he had been rushed to Vajira Hospital in the first place, saying: “No one can answer that. It’s just an expression of hope and speculation.”
Meanwhile, Seh Daeng’s daughter, Kattiyah, refused to speak to the press, saying her family had suffered enough from public criticism of her father. She was met by several public personalities yesterday morning, including Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paripatra. She had spoken publicly only once about her father, saying she hoped his shooting would be the last.
The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has earlier denied that it was behind the shooting of Khattiya, saying the incident was being investigated and police were gathering evidence. CRES spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the military had no policy to target Khattiya and did not know who was behind the shooting.
“What is rampant in Thai society now is making judgements without involving the justice process,” Sansern added.
He said the military too had suffered losses from sniper attacks during the clashes at Khok Wua intersection and near Don Mueang airport.
“Now Seh Daeng took a sniper shot. This shows that terrorists capable of carrying out sniper attacks are behind all the violence,” he added.
The spokesman said Army snipers on duty only carried M-16 assault rifles installed with scopes to protect soldiers from being targeted by enemy sniper fire.
“None of the Army sharpshooters carry sniper rifles,” he said.
Meanwhile, Thung Maha Mek police has officially detained Khattiya under normal procedure to protect him as a victim of a crime now that the Department of Special Investigation has taken over the case of the attempt on Khattiya’s life from the police, DSI director-general Tharit Phengdit said.
“The detention of Maj-General Khattiya is just part of normal procedure and not meant to pile any more misery on him. It enables the DSI to protect him,” Tharit said.
Tharit also dismissed red-shirt leaders’ claims that he was discouraged by the difficult tasks ahead and was seeking to resign.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Thaksin Shinwatra posted a message on Twitter praising Khattiyah for being a tough fighter like her father.