Two people were injured when gun-toting thugs allegedly opened fire at the wrong house in Thailand.

Brave residents Noppadol Sonchai and Samrerng Sonchai, 60, confronted the gangsters who showed up at the neighbourhood in Ayutthaya on October 6.

The gunmen were reportedly looking for a resident named Mai, but became angry when the homeowners said there was no person there with that name.

They began to fire at the house, but were confronted by Noppadol and Samrerng. The gangsters turned their ire on the pair, shooting Samrerng in the hand and Noppadol in the head before fleeing.

Police Captain Bancha Puinongpho of the Man Wichai Police Station said officers arrived at the village after receiving a report at 9:30 am. Officers found bullet casings scattered outside the house, while a red Mitsubishi had been riddled with bullet holes.

Medics rushed the wounded men to the Sena Hospital. The two were reported to be in a stable condition.

A resident Thanawan Sonchai, 55, said that the group of six thugs had shown up on her doorstep, showed her a picture of 'Mai', and demanded her to produce the said person. But when she said she was unfamiliar with Mai, they pulled out their guns and shot at her home before Noppadol and Samrerng intervened.

Police later learned that the 'Mai' in question was a man named Natthapol Thanatawee, 26, who lived in the same village.

Speaking to local media, Natthapol said he had met an attractive young woman on social media, and began flirting with her online - only to discover she was already in a relationship.

The woman's furious boyfriend allegedly challenged him to a duel, and arranged to meet at a road around 200 metres away from where the shooting occurred.

Natthapol said: 'I met with the boyfriend as promised, but he did not say anything when he saw me. I'm confused that they fired at the wrong house.'

Police Colonel Teerawut Saengmanee, deputy commander of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Police, said the shooting was intentional, but carried out on the wrong target. He said: 'Now that we know the group that committed the crime, we are going to contact them to surrender.'

The attack comes just three days after a 14-year-old school boy opened fire in a Bangkok shopping mall, killing two and injuring five.