Drug trafficker killed in Chiang Mai shootout
published : 31 Dec 2025 at 07:26
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Online Reporters
One drug trafficker was shot dead and another escaped during a clash with police in Mae Ai district of Chiang Mai province on Monday night, after which at least 2 million methamphetamine pills were found in their car.
Border Patrol Police signalled a white Toyota Vios with Chiang Mai licence plates to stop for a search on Highway 4016, near Ban San Khong, about 9.30pm on Monday. The car was believed to be used by drug smugglers operating out of Mae Ai district, police said on Tuesday.
The Vios instead accelerated, ramming a police vehicle before the occupants fired shots at the police. Police returned fire.
The suspects abandoned the car and fled into a nearby rice field, exchanging gunshots with police for about three minutes. When the shooting ended police found one suspect dead at the scene. The other managed to escape. No officers were injured.
A search of the abandoned car found 10 bags containing more than 2 million meth pills. Some reports put it at 2.5 million pills.
Police said they were tracking down the fleeing suspect.
Vocabulary
- abandoned (adj): left and no longer used - ร้าง, ที่ถูกละทิ้ง
- accelerate: (of a vehicle or person) to start to go faster -
- border patrol police: the part of the police force that is responsible for border security - ตำรวจตระเวณชายแดน
- licence plate: a flat piece of metal or plastic on the front and back of a vehicle that shows its license number - แผ่นป้ายทะเบียนรถยนต์
- occupants: people who are in a particular place, vehicle, building, etc. at a particular time - ผู้ครอบครอง
- rammed: hit or pushed with force - กระแทก
- shootout: a fight that is fought with guns, usually until one side is killed or defeated - การยิงกัน
- smuggler: a person who takes things or people to or from a place secretly and often illegally - ผู้ลักลอบขนสินค้าหรือคนหรือสัตว์เข้าและออกจากประเทศอย่างผิด
- suspect: a person who is thought to have committed a crime - ผู้ต้องสงสัย
- trafficker: someone in the business of buying and selling things illegally or of illegally transporting people for work in other countries or areas - ผู้ลักลอบค้าสินค้าผิดกฎหมายหรือลักลอบขายแรงงานผิดกฎหมาย
