The gunman who hijacked Bangkok bus No. 8 last night said he committed the crime due to stress brought on by the pandemic.
Peeranat Sangchan, 23, also tested positive for drugs and was previously arrested for committing a separate crime, according to local police. Bus No. 8 had arrived at its destination at Happy Land in Bang Kapi district at around 9pm Sunday when one of the passengers, Peeranat, refused to get off the vehicle, pulled out a gun and threatened the bus driver and bus conductor if they didn’t drive him back to the Victory Monument.
The bus conductor, only identified as Nuanpan, was injured after she was hit in the back of her head with a pistol.
It took authorities hours to calm down Peeranat before giving himself up to the police. The man tested negative for COVID-19, according to Bangkok police commander Pakapong Phongpetra.
Peeranat has been charged with drug use and coercion using a weapon. He told police that he was stressed being unemployed for months. Peeranat last month, on July 7, also robbed a convenience store in Bang Sue area and got away with THB8,000.
