A Thai tour guide surrendered himself to the police confessing that he had shot dead one Japanese tourist and wounded another, after a heated argument during the trekking in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand.
On 26th April, 2011 the tour guide, Apichart Inphisak, 41, turned himself in to the police and admitted to the crime that he had committed earlier at 10 a.m.
Mr. Inphisak guided two Japanese tourists, Hiromichi Nagano, 59 and Takushi Condo, 43, to Chiang Rai mountainous area, visiting the Lisu people, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic group.
Takushi was constantly complaining and cursing especially about the tour while travelling in the green Suzuki jeep, Mr. Inshisak said.
Even when they were trekking in the woods, the complaining continued, he added.
When Mr. Inshisak could not tolerate the criticism any longer, he started his verbal retaliation which subsequently instigated an intense argument between the guide and tourists.
Suddenly Takushi extracted his gun from the holster and shot the tour guide but he missed, Mr. Inshisak reported.
The guide added that in the heated moment he shot back at both Japanese tourists six times, which had wounded one and killed the other before making his escape.
At the crime scene police found the body of Takushi with two punctured wounds – one in the head and one in the back. The police also noticed an empty gun holster on the deceased’s waistline.
One of the three backpacks found at the scene contained 100 of $100 bills, a total worth of $10,000 and a 9mm. pistol.
The other tourist, Hiromichi was also shot in the head but he managed to seek help from local people, who took him to the hospital, the police reported.
Based on police’s background check, two tourists were members of Japan’s third most popular gang. Takushi was in fact the leader of the gang. In 2006 Takushi was allegedly accused of a murder in Tokyo.
These Japanese gangsters do not appear to be the trekking type of tourists, as indicated by the reported grumble, the police speculated.
Police believe that the gangsters may have a hidden agenda in the woods and hence requesting the trekking trip.