A gunman killed five security guards and wounded one other person in a mass shooting at a popular fresh food market in Thailand’s capital on Monday, police said.
The suspect opened fire with a ‘gun-type weapon’ at the Or Tor Kor Market in Bangkok’s Bang Sue district at 12.31pm (0531 GMT), the Royal Thai Police said, before taking his own life.
‘Police are investigating the motive. So far it’s a mass shooting,’ Bang Sue deputy police chief Worapat Sukthai said.
He said police were working to identify the dead perpertrator, as well as probing ‘for any possible link’ to the current border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.
National police chief Kitrat Phanphet said an urgent investigation had been ordered, with officers combing CCTV footage of the attack.
Or Tor Kor Market is a short distance from Chatuchak market which is a major tourist destination in Bangkok and throngs with visitors every weekend.
Mass shootings are not uncommon in Thailand, where firearms can be obtained relatively easily due to lax gun control enforcement.
