In Phuket, there’s a murder investigation on to find the killer of the slain boss of an organized crime tuk tuk gang. The story reveals all sorts of things about how transportation organized crime gangs throughout Thailand operate.
Sakol Sompotch, 58, was fatally shot in the early hours of Oct. 25, when his assailants reportedly rode up on a motorbike in front of the Phuket Villa housing complex on Phra Phuket Kaew Road just before 3am and uploaded a hail of gunfire into the cab of Sakol’s tuk tuk.
Sakol was the President of the Patong Tuk Tuk Club. His rival, Wattana Nawakeaw, 38, who heads the “KT Tuk Tuk – Taxi Service” now faces charges of conspiracy to murder Sakol.
Police arrested Wattana and a 17-year-old male named “Tong” on Oct. 28. On Nov. 1, police took another man with a suspected role in the murder into custody. On Friday, they located the alleged getaway driver, who they have not yet named, and he has now been taken into custody.
Wattana, along with 20 other drivers in his service — which operated as a gang — were giving rides in the same area of Patong where Sakol operated.
Wattana’s arrest came quickly after police discovered a diary kept by Sakol that revealed many details of this specific case. The diary also revealed much about how these transport turf gangs operate.
Police are using Sakol’s diary as a vital piece of evidence in bringing his killers to justice. The diary details the ongoing conflict Sakol had with Wattana.
The KT group is legally allocated by the government to operate in Kata and Karon only. They may take passengers elsewhere on the island, but may not pick up passengers outside of their legal “patch.”
However, Wattana and his cadre of tuk tuk drivers had carved out territory of their own in the heart of Patong. They had done so illegally for more than two years after the military led a police crackdown on Phuket’s powerful transport mafia.
The dispute between the rival tuk tuk gangs was over more than fares, however. It also had its basis in Wattana’s faction allegedly operating illegal tuk tuks that are not registered or recognized by the transport government.
Wattana’s mugshot
Kathu Police Deputy Chief Investigator Lt. Col. Amponwat Seangreung explained that illegal tuk tuks cost about THB150,000 each. “But operating a fully legal tuk tuk costs THB700,000 to THB800,000 each,” he said.
The vehicles in question are what Bangkokians, and most mainland Thais, would call a “songthaew,” but in Phuket these are called tuk-tuk.
Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Sommai Sutkhao noted that there are about 1,200 tuk tuks operating legally in Phuket.
Asked if the PLTO is allowing any more tuk tuks to start operating in Patong, he said, “No, this is not allowed.”
Explaining the huge disparity in the cost of operating a tuk tuk in Patong, Col. Amponwat noted, “It costs hundreds of thousands of baht to join a tuk tuk stand in Patong.”
The flashpoint for the murder is likely to have been Sakol’s filing of formal complaints against illegal tuk tuk drivers operating near his group’s stand. And those illegal tuk tuks may have been owned by Wattana.
In 2014, Sakol called for serious action against illegal tuk tuk drivers, and he accused Patong Police of working with mafia figures by allowing them to operate.
On Sept. 6 of this year, he filed a formal complaint accusing Wattana and his drivers of operating tuk tuks illegally.
The fine for that transgression can be punishable by up to THB200,000 and up to two years in jail.
Apparently, the “hit” on Sakol was planned well in advance and allegedly carried out a group of seven, three of them were teen boys from the same extended family. Police are not yet sure how much the boys were paid.
Police arrested Wattana and “Tong” two weeks ago. Both have been charged with conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to illegally obtain a firearm, and conspiracy to bring a firearm into a public area without permission. Wattana denied the charges, but Tong confessed to his role in the slaying.
The alleged getaway driver’s mugshot
Police have since taken another man with a suspected role in the murder into custody on Nov. 1 and the getaway driver, who was located on Friday. He had been hiding out in the northern province of Mae Hong Son where, police said, he had gone to marry his northern girlfriend.
He has denied the charges and another three suspects remain at large.
Meanwhile, Col. Amponwat praised Sakol’s stand against the illegal tuk tuks. “Sakol was warned about the consequence but stood strong in upholding the law. That’s the risk of standing up to ‘influential people’ in Patong,” said the officer.
Story: The Phuket News
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