A jilted husband shot himself after attacking his estranged wife at a bustling market in Thailand.

Santhat Oopkaew, 72, reportedly opened fire on his spouse Samorn Manowan, 54, while she was running her food stall during the lunch rush in Chiang Rai province on Thursday.

The bullet was lodged in the woman's leg, leaving her bleeding as the husband then walked away. He was said to have fled to the parking area, where he allegedly shot himself in front of shocked shoppers.

Police were notified at 1 pm local time. They rushed to the market, and found that the injured Samorn had already been taken to Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital for treatment.

Officers recovered a 9mm pistol and bullet casings at the scene.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Kanprin Yiamcharoen, an investigator at Chiang Rai City Police Station, said: 'Witnesses said that Mr. Santhat and Mrs. Samorn were married but separated after a bitter row. The man had repeatedly tried to reconcile with her.

'Before the attack, he drove a blue Honda motorcycle to the market, approached his wife, then fired a 9mm pistol, hitting her in the leg. After that, he used the same firearm to shoot himself in the head, killing him.'

Samorn said she was indeed Santhat's wife but they had already been separated for three to four months. 

She said: 'He was buying food from me so I gave him two packs of rice. Suddenly, he pulled out a gun and shot twice. The gun likely discharged before he could aim properly, so I was only hit once in the leg. After that, he walked away. I didn't see him shoot himself.'

Police Lieutenant Karnparin Yiamcharoen of Mueang Chiang Rai Police Station said police have collected evidence from the scene, adding Santhat's body will undergo a post-mortem exam at Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital.

He said: ‘The inquiry officer will question the injured victim and witnesses for further legal action.'

In July, 61-year-old gunman Noi Praidaen opened fire at the Or Tor Kor market in Bangkok, killing five people before fatally shooting himself.

Police said the attack was driven by a long-standing grudge against a security guard who allegedly scratcher Noi's car six years ago.

Thailand has one of the highest gun ownership and gun homicide rates among Southeast Asian nations. Many of the firearms are believed to be sold by government and police officers, who can buy and sell them at a discounted rate under the government's 'gun welfare programme'.

The persistent gun culture is said to stem from a distrust of crime control policies, especially in rural areas.