A Chinese national was arrested after carrying a gun into a convenience store in Pattaya in the early hours of Friday, triggering a tense two-hour standoff with police.
Police went to the store at the entrance of Soi Theppasit 8 after receiving a report of a foreign man carrying a gun inside the store at about 12.15am.
Upon arrival, police found many vendors and bystanders gathered outside the store.
After more than two hours of negotiations, aided by a translator, the man — identified as Zhang Shuai, 35, originally from Korea but holding Chinese citizenship — surrendered and came out of the store with his hands raised.
The police team recovered a modified Glock 19 handgun which Mr Zhang had reportedly brought into the store.
According to employees, the man had entered the store in a distressed state, claiming he was being followed by other Chinese nationals intent on harming him.
The employees told police they saw another Chinese man following closely behind before Mr Zhang fled to the back of the store. As staff noticed Mr Zhang was armed, they immediately fled and alerted police.
