Bangkok police have arrested a Turkish national and a former sales manager over a fire at a company in Bang Khae, which investigators say was set to destroy documents linked to an alleged 10 million baht embezzlement case.
Police allege the former employee paid her ex-boyfriend 10,000 baht to burn the records at San Tech Center Co Ltd, a three-and-a-half-storey commercial building in the Sampheng 2 project.
Colonel Pramote Chanboonkaew, superintendent of Phetkasem Police Station, led officers carrying Criminal Court Thon Buri arrest warrants on September 29.
Turkish suspect arrested in Din Daeng
The Turkish suspect, identified as 31-year-old Emres Badas, was arrested at a condominium in the Din Daeng-Ratchaprarop area. He faces a charge of arson involving a building and property.
The second suspect, 40-year-old Chanoknan, known as Wan, was detained outside her home in Nong Khaem, Bangkok. She is accused of procuring another person to commit arson.
The fire occurred in the early hours of September 25 at the company premises. Around 90% of the building was damaged, police said.
Investigators found that the fire started at two document cabinets on the ground floor. They reported a strong smell of petrol at the scene and said there were no electrical sockets nearby, leading the investigation to conclude that the blaze had been deliberately started.
Documents allegedly linked to fraud case
Company executives told police that the cabinets contained evidence being prepared for a legal case against Chanoknan, a former head of sales.
She was allegedly suspected of submitting false sales figures and embezzling company money over a period of 10 years, with reported losses exceeding 10 million baht.
CCTV footage reportedly showed a foreign man arriving on a hired motorcycle, cutting a lock and entering the premises before the fire. Police traced the man and later arrested Badas.
Police said Badas confessed that Chanoknan, described as his former girlfriend, hired him to destroy the documents connected to the alleged embezzlement case.
Pictures courtesy of Daily News
He allegedly told investigators that he rode a motorcycle to the location after filling up with petrol, siphoning it into two bottles and buying bolt cutters. He is accused of cutting the lock, pouring petrol over the filing cabinets, setting them alight and fleeing.
Chanoknan later admitted ordering the fire because she wanted the evidence destroyed. Police said she claimed the money had been spent on personal expenses and full-body cosmetic surgery.
Both suspects were handed to Phetkasem police investigators for further legal proceedings.
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30 September 2026
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