Two Burmese migrant lottery winners have been shot in southern Thailand. One was killed, while the other was seriously injured.

Ko Han and Ko Pyae, both aged 30, were returning home after retrieving their winnings of 50,000 baht (US$1,500) when they were attacked in Thung Tako, in Champhon Province.

Thai police and emergency workers attended the scene after receiving information about gunshots, and two injured people on the hillside road, said a Thung Tako police officer.

Ko Han was killed after being hit with four bullets, and Ko Pyae was seriously injured after being shot in his thigh. Police retrieved four 9mm bullet shells and one bullet from the scene.

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The pair were returning home to meet with friends after organising a celebratory dinner. They were followed by a pair on a motorbike, who eventually shot the men, making off with the winnings, according to Ko Pyae and other local accounts.

Police suspect that the culprits may have known that Burmese migrants had won the lottery, and attempted to kill the men to ensure their silence, according to local media reports. Police are now investigating the case.

Kyaw Thaung of the Myanmar Worker League told DVB that the organisation had been contacted by another Burmese migrant with a request for assistance.