CHIANG RAI: The Hmong chief received phone calls before he took his family to the road where they were ambushed, his father revealed as he led a funeral ceremony for his granddaughter.
Jong Yodmaneebanphot said on Thursday his son, Thaweesak, had talked on the phone in Hmong language before taking the family from his coffee plantation in Wieng Kaen district to his house in the same district on Tuesday. But Mr Jong said he could not catch what the conversation was about.
Mr Thaweesak and his family were visiting his father's orchard at the time and the departure ended with the ambush on his way back home in Wieng Kaen.
Police found the shells of an AK-47 rifle and a shotgun at the scene.
The assault killed his wife, Maiyia, 40, and four-year-old daughter Thanyaporn. Mr Thaweesak and his son, Chaimongkol, 3, were seriously injured and are under police protection. The Hmong chief is still unable to give statements to police.
Mr Thaweeksak has been the kamnan of tambon Por in the province since 2007 and the leader of the Hmong Association of Thailand, with 100,000 members.
The attack shocked the Hmong community, while police are trying to collect evidence and find the motives behind the killing.
The funeral of his daughter was held at his house at Ban Huay Han in Wieng Kaen on Thursday. She will be buried on Friday at a cemetery.
The body of Maiyia has not been released from a hospital as police are still conducting an autopsy.
