Active case
Killing of Chaiyaphum Pasae
Chaiyaphum Pasae was a teenage Lahu human rights activist from Thailand who worked to promote the rights of ethnic minority groups. On 17 March 2017, at around 11:00, he was shot dead at the Ban Rin Luang checkpoint in Mueang Na Sub-district, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province, near the Thai-Myanmar border. He had been a passenger in a car driven by his friend, Pongsanai Sangtala, when soldiers stopped the vehicle to conduct a search.
The soldiers said they found roughly 2,800 methamphetamine pills hidden in the car's air cleaner, and alleged that Chaiyaphum brandished a knife, attempted to escape, and tried to throw a hand grenade at them, prompting one soldier to fire in what the army described as self-defense. Chaiyaphum died at the scene. Notably, one month earlier another Lahu man had been shot dead at the same checkpoint under similar circumstances after being accused of possessing drugs and allegedly resisting officials; despite seven CCTV cameras in the vicinity, the details of that earlier death also remain unresolved.
An eyewitness told Thai PBS that Chaiyaphum was dragged from the car, beaten, and had his face stepped on before being shot; soldiers reportedly fired two warning shots, and when Chaiyaphum broke free and ran, he was shot dead. Villagers were kept away from the scene. Human Rights Watch called for a transparent investigation into the killing, which caused widespread disbelief in Thailand.
The subsequent investigation was marked by repeated failures to produce CCTV footage the army said existed and supported its version of events. The army handed over a disk drive to police on 24 March 2017, but police said they could not locate the relevant footage. A hard disk and recording device were later sent to the Central Police Forensic Science Division, sealed with signed duct tape, but forensic officials said they lacked the software to open the file. On 29 May 2017, authorities arrested two of Chaiyaphum's relatives, Chantana Pasae and Nawa Ja-eu, on drug charges, alleging they had supplied the drugs found on Chaiyaphum — an action that followed the relatives' public criticism of the case.
The Chiang Mai Provincial Court held inquest hearings beginning 5 July 2017, continuing into March 2018, without CCTV evidence. Forensic testimony presented during the inquest found no fingerprints of Chaiyaphum's on the knife soldiers said he wielded, and his DNA was found only on the body of the grenade, not the pin. On 6 June 2018, the court ruled that the fatal bullet was fired by authorities but declined to rule on disputed claims about the drugs, grenade, or knife, stating its role was limited to determining cause of death. In August 2018, the army told the family's lawyers that no video of the incident existed, claiming the footage had been taped over.
Key facts
- Victims
- Chaiyaphum Pasae
- Date
- 2017
- Location
- Ban Rin Luang checkpoint, Mueang Na Sub-district, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand
- Case status
- unsolved
Case timeline
2017-02
Another Lahu man was shot dead at the same Ban Rin Luang checkpoint after being accused of possessing drugs.
2017-03-17
Chaiyaphum Pasae was shot dead by a soldier at the Ban Rin Luang checkpoint, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province.
2017-03-20
The soldier who shot Chaiyaphum reported to local police.
2017-03-23
3rd Region Army chief Lt Gen Vijak Siribansop publicly claimed Chaiyaphum was involved in drug trafficking and said CCTV footage would not be released publicly.
2017-03-23
Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered an army probe into the killing; the army set up a committee.
2017-03-24
The army gave a disk drive of CCTV footage to the Royal Thai Police; police said they could not find the incident footage.
2017-04-25
The army sent the sealed hard disk and recording device to the Central Police Forensic Science Division.
2017-05-18
Chaiyaphum's lawyer stated the public prosecutor had not received the CCTV footage.
2017-05-29
Authorities arrested Chaiyaphum's relatives Chantana Pasae and Nawa Ja-eu on drug offenses after they criticized the case.
2017-07-05
Chiang Mai Provincial Court began hearing inquest testimony despite absence of CCTV evidence.
2017-09-04
First round of witness interrogation held in court.
2018-03-13
Second round of witness interrogations began, running through 16 March 2018, including eight army witnesses and two family witnesses.
2018-03-14
Lawyer Sumitchai Hattasan revealed forensic report findings: no Chaiyaphum fingerprints on the knife and his DNA found only on the grenade body, not the pin; court rejected a request to compel the army to produce footage.
2018-06-06
Chiang Mai Provincial Court ruled the fatal bullet was fired by authorities but declined to rule on disputed facts about drugs, knife, or grenade.
2018-06-18
Family lawyer Rassada Manurassada formally requested army disclosure of CCTV footage under the 1997 Information Act.
2018-08-10
The army informed the family's lawyers by letter that no video of the incident existed, saying the footage had been taped over due to lack of space.
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People
Chaiyaphum Pasae
VICTIMTeenage Lahu human rights activist shot dead by a soldier at a military checkpoint on 17 March 2017.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- Chaiyaphum Pasae, a teenage Lahu human rights activist, was shot dead by an army soldier at a military checkpoint in Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province, on 17 March 2017; the army says he was trafficking drugs and threatened soldiers with a grenade, but eyewitnesses said he was unarmed and beaten before being shot, and CCTV footage the army said would prove its account was never produced.
- Where did the killing happen?
- Ban Rin Luang checkpoint, Mueang Na Sub-district, Chiang Dao District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: unsolved.
Related cases
View all cases
Sources
- ENCYCLOPEDICKilling of Chaiyaphum PasaeWikipedia · 2026-07-07
- PRESSWitness Says Soldiers Shot Lahu Activist Who Fled Beatingkhaosodenglish.com · 2026-07-07
- PRESSSoldier fired in self-defence in Lahu deathbangkokpost.com · 2026-07-07
Record history
- First published
- JUL 07, 2026