Drunk customer killed after big tip, flirting with waitress

Police at the scene of the fatal shooting at the Plaza market in Hat Yai district, Songkhla early Tuesday morning. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawan)

SONGKHLA: A drunken man was shot dead during a quarrel outside a restaurant as he tried to pick up a waitress he had given a large tip, early on Tuesday morning.

Police were informed of the shooting at the Plaza market in Hat Yai municipality about 3am. The dead man was identified as Tong sae Pae, 38, a native of Hat Yai.

Pairin Nadkliang, a 39-year-old native of Hat Yai, waited at the scene for police to arrive and handed over his 9mm pistol.

Police said that Tong was a frequent customer at the restaurant on Rat Uthit Road. On Monday night he gave a 500-baht tip to the waitress and tried to follow her, even though her boyfriend was waiting to pick her up. That led to the quarrel and, ultimately, his death.

Mr Pairin said his mother, a vendor at the market, had phoned him for help after Tong injured his uncle and a friend.

According to Mr Pairin, Tong was drunk and started a quarrel when trying to approach a waitress from a nearby restaurant he had just visited. His uncle and a friend tried to stop the quarrel, but Tong stabbed his uncle in the neck with a knife and slashed the friend's hand.

Mr Pairin told police that Tong and four friends were charging towards him. He fired a warning shot into the air but it did not stop them. As Tong and friends were approaching him with a knife, he shot his pistol at Tong and the others. Tong was killed and his three friends were wounded.