Klaew had been watched for more than 30 years by the police, from his small time beginnings when he was suspected of running gambling dens had been arrested on a number of occasions, the most recent being in 1990,but with was released very quickly. With the police inexplicably not pressing charges. it was thought that political pressure had assured his release.
On the evening of 5 April 1991, Klaew was gunned down with more than 30 bullets raking his van from another moving vehicle. The slaying bore all the hall marks of the killing of another "godfather”—“sia Jiew”or Chumphol sukpharangsi--in 1981. Although Klaew was thought to have had considerable gambling debts which may have given grounds for a motive, his death was linked to the military which, naturally enough, promptly denied any involvement. Klaew appeared to have lacked strong political protection, particularly since the Liberal Party was no longer a force in Thai politics. He also did not have the same business "legitimacy" that other jao phor had secured. Thus, Klaew was more vulnerable, and possibly more expendable, if the miliitary had wanted to convey a message to all “godfathers" to tone down their operations. No one has since been charged with his murder.
A second "godfather" with a main base in Bangkok was So Thanavisuth, a Pitchit native who moved to the capital to expand his operations. Initially with การแสวงหาผลประโยชน์ in the film industry, he was acquitted of a charge of master-minding the murder of the manager of a movie star, established then closed a newspaper, and then opened a massage parlour operating as a front dembling dan, which made his fortune. When Pramarn Interior Minister in the chatichai government, So's business reportedly flourished, and he also was reported to have close links with the Social Action Party and its leader, Montree.