A waiter shot himself dead in Pattaya late Saturday night as a group of taxi motorcyclists came towards him following the waiter's earlier threat to shoot one of them.
The dead man was identified as Niroot Yamphuang, a 39-year-old waiter at an entertainment venue on Pattaya Sai 3 Road. He shot himself in the head near his workplace at about 11pm on Saturday.
A few hours earlier, the waiter pointed the gun at himself and refused to surrender as requested by Pattaya police. Local people and tourists were evacuated from the area for safety.
The incident happened after a taxi motorcyclist told police that Niroot had pointed a gun at him in the area at about 5am on Saturday.
On Saturday night Niroot returned to his workplace. The taxi motorcyclist group approached him to talk but Niroot drew his gun and began walking around the neighbourhood.
Niroot told police he was stressed because he was facing an arrest warrant for murder and attempted murder charges in his native province of Ratchaburi a decade ago. Niroot then shot himself.