Man Sets Fire to His Own Home in Sa Kaeo, Burning It to the Ground

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture from responders.

 

A 36-year-old man suffering from mental instability set fire to his own home in Klong Hat District, completely destroying it and causing the death of a cow in the process. His parents, who lost their entire life savings in the blaze, are devastated.

 

On the evening of 13 March, a fire broke out in a wooden and corrugated iron house in Ban Thepnimit, Submakrut Subdistrict, Klong Hat District, Sa Kaeo Province. Local residents alerted the municipal fire service, and fire trucks from Wang Nam Yen Municipality and Submakrut Subdistrict Administration Organisation rushed to the scene. It took nearly an hour for firefighters, along with rescue teams from Sawang Sakaeo Foundation, to bring the blaze under control.

 

Authorities later confirmed that the fire was deliberately started by the homeowner’s son, Mr Anek Chaiyaphit, aged 36, who has a history of erratic behaviour. Local police from Klong Hat Police Station took him into custody after the incident. Preliminary investigations revealed that he had previously attacked his parents, been arrested for drug-related offences, and damaged his own car multiple times.

 

During questioning, the suspect claimed he started the fire because he wanted to roast a cow. Tragically, one cow perished in the blaze. At the time of the incident, his parents were away working as woodcutters, returning home to find their house completely destroyed.

 

Mr Somkuan Chaiyaphit, 68, and his wife, Mrs Thewi Chaiyaphit, 63, were left heartbroken upon discovering the loss of their home and possessions. The couple had been saving money for years to renovate their house, but their entire life savings, 30,000 baht was lost in the fire.

 

Mrs Thewi recounted her son’s troubling history, revealing that he had previously attempted suicide, struggled with drug addiction, and displayed increasingly erratic behaviour. She said he had been feeling stressed in recent weeks, particularly after his daughter refused to answer his phone calls.

 

“He started getting aggressive, breaking things in the house. Then he set it on fire,” she said. “He used to have a wife and child, but after their relationship fell apart, he became unstable. He wanted us to sell the house and move away. Now, everything we owned is gone.”

 

Mr Somkuan also expressed his despair, explaining that he had planned to use his savings to buy construction materials to renovate their home. Now, they have nothing left.

 

“When I asked my son why he did it, he just told me not to talk and that we’d see each other in court,” he said tearfully.

 

Pol Lt Col Krisana Iamsaad, the lead investigator from Klong Hat Police Station, confirmed that Mr Anek had been charged with arson and was being held in police custody. The suspect was due to be brought before the Sakaeo Provincial Court for a remand hearing in the coming week.

 

Meanwhile, forensic officers were dispatched to the scene to collect evidence for further legal proceedings.

 

-- 2025-03-15