Narathiwat, Thailand police shooting kills two officers

On 2 August 2026, a gunman opened fire on a Royal Thai Police investigation team in the Tak Bai district of Narathiwat province, southern Thailand. The shooter, armed with a long‑rifle and wearing only a training‑pants, killed two officers – Amran Ha and Witthaya Chaiphromkaeo – and wounded three others during a drug‑related operation in a palm‑oil plantation near Phrai Wan. After the attack the suspect fled into the dense plantation, using his familiarity with the terrain to evade capture.

Police, the army and local civil‑administration quickly sealed off the area, set up checkpoints on surrounding roads and along the Malaysian border, and launched a large‑scale manhunt. No immediate link to the long‑running separatist insurgency in Thailand’s deep south has been established, and investigations continue to locate the gunman and determine any possible accomplices.