Asian Tycoon Shot Dead Monday: Motive May Have Been Poker Debt

Thai former night-entertainment tycoon Somyot Suthangkool was shot dead Monday night with the motive likely stemming from a Bt4-million gambling debt four poker players owed him.

Other possible motives included his line of work as the owner of a lawyer's office and conflict over the purchase of a plot of land on which Rama IX Cafe was located.

A police source said that Somyot, 62, had received a death treat from one of the four poker players, after Somyot found out that they were cheating him in a game. He demanded that they return Bt4 million to him or in return give him a land ownership document worth close to Bt4 million. The source said that Somyot had allegedly threatened to harm all four players. 

One of the players has since told police that the poker game was set up to rip the victim off.  – Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com