A gunman opened fire at the busy Or Tor Kor market in Bangkok on Monday, killing four security guards, a woman vendor, and later himself. Police are investigating possible motives.
At least six people were killed today in a mass shooting at the Or Tor Kor fresh food market in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, police said. The victims include four security guards stationed at the market and a woman vendor, according to Deputy Commissioner Charin Gopatta of the Metropolitan Police Bureau and the Erawan Emergency Medical Centre, which tracks hospital admissions in the city.
The attacker, later identified as a 61‑year‑old man, died by suicide at the scene. Police say the gunman shot himself after carrying out the attack at approximately 12:40 pm local time, taking his own life on a nearby bench within the market complex. His name has not yet been released.
Eyewitnesses reported the gunman wearing a black T‑shirt and cream-coloured shorts, with a camouflage‑patterned backpack worn on his chest as he opened fire in the crowds near the Bang Sue police station precinct near the market entrance.
Thai authorities confirmed that the body count includes the gunman, who was found deceased by law enforcement at the scene. One additional person was wounded and received medical treatment, police added.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear. Police are investigating possible links to the ongoing border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, which have intensified in recent days—and have resulted in dozens of deaths and mass displacement—but no determination has been made.
Or Tor Kor Market is a well‐known destination for high‑quality agricultural produce and local speciality foods, drawing heavy foot traffic from locals and tourists alike, particularly on weekends.
Gun ownership rates in Thailand are relatively high for the region and mass shooting incidents are not common, but the country has seen several deadly incidents in recent years.
In 2023, a 14-year-old boy killed two people and injured five others in a shooting at a luxury shopping mall in the centre of Bangkok.
An ex-policeman killed at least 37 people, most of them children, in a gun and knife attack at a childcare centre in in Nong Bua Lamphu province in north-east Thailand in October 2022.
In 2020, a soldier killed 29 people and injured dozens more in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima.