THAILAND: GUNMAN IN 2017 DEALERSHIP RAID SENTENCED TO DIE

March 11, 2019:

One of several gunmen accused of stealing pickup trucks at gunpoint and killing a hostage was sentenced to death on 12 February 2019 by a southern court.
Eighteen months after the brazen attack, Attanan Sa-i was sentenced to die by the Na Tawee Court in Songkhla province after being found guilty of several crimes including violating national security, engaging in extremism, robbery and murder.
The incident occurred on 16 August 2017, when the gunmen raided a car dealership and stole five vehicles. Four people were taken hostage – three employees and the owner – before one of them, Saharat Laeni, was shot dead.
The next morning, one of the five vehicles stolen from the car dealership exploded at a police station in Pattani province. No one was killed or injured. Car bombs are a common weapon of separatist militants in the Deep South.