A senior police officer was removed from his role as spokesperson after he laughed “insensitively” during an interview on Thursday’s mass shooting that left at least 36 people dead.
Maj. Gen. Paisarn Luesomboon today was removed from the job as spokesperson of the Region 4 Provincial Police after he laughed during an interview with ThaiPBS on the mass shooting in Nong Bua Lamphu.
Paisarn was replaced by Maj. Gen. Puttipong Musikool, according to an order issued by Lt. Gen. Yanyong Wet-osot, commissioner of the Region 4 Provincial Police.
Paisarn was heard laughing repeatedly after a reporter asked if the death toll from the mass shooting, which was then 32, included the gunman.
Paisarn laughed before responding over more chuckles, “when you asked if the gunman was included, I immediately had to think if it’s included. I’m sorry. I got this number from my supervisor. I forgot to ask if the number included the gunman.”
His laugh stirred anger from those who said it was “inappropriate” and “insensitive.”
The mass shooting was carried out by former police Sgt. Panya Kamrab, who also killed his toddler and wife and himself. Twenty-four of his victims were preschoolers. It’s now considered Thailand’s worst mass shooting as its death toll outstripped the Korat shooting in 2020.
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