An Indian tourist was killed and another was injured during a shooting incident between two gangs in Bangkok on Oct.7. The exchange of fire took place near the parking space of a shopping mall.
A Lao tourist also died due to severe injuries sustained in the shootout while two Thai men were seriously injured.
The Indian tourist Dheeraj Gakhreja, 42, succumbed to severe injuries in hospital, while another Indian national named Dharmendra Sharma, 45, was injured, the Nation reports.
The deceased and the injured Indian men belonged to Udaipur, according to Udaipur Times. Gakhreja was an agent with ICICI Lombard and was among 400 agents selected from all over the country to be sent on a trip to Thailand.
The incident happened when members of two gangs fired at each other near the parking space of Centara Watergate Pavilion shopping mall, news agency Xinhua reported.
Three youngsters fired at the rival group following a spat at a snooker parlor near the shooting site, Pol Maj Gen Senit Samararn Samruajkit, commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 1, was cited as saying by The Nation.
Samruajkit also quoted witnesses as saying that around 20 young men carrying pistols, knives and sticks were seen coming out of the snooker parlor, running into an alley near the parking space of the mall. Three young men armed with rifles opened fire there. The members of gangs are youngsters and belong to the area, the police said, according to the report.
The shells of fired bullets found at the scene of crime are from an AK47 assault rifle, Samruajkit added.
The Indians caught in the shootout were part of a group of tourists who came to have dinner at the India Gate restaurant on the ground floor of the shopping mall, a tour guide named Juli Sawang-aroon was quoted by the publication as saying.
After having their dinner, the group members were given some time for shopping. Tourists who were done with their shopping returned to the car park on the side street to wait for their vehicle when the shooting started.