Community Panic at Prachinburi Petrol Station After Suspicious Bag Found with Mysterious Note

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Amarin.

 

A routine morning at a petrol station in Sri Maha Phot District turned into a scene of alarm and confusion after a suspicious bag was found abandoned outside a public restroom, accompanied by a cryptic handwritten note.

 

The incident occurred at approximately 09:30 on 28 June, when concerned locals reported the presence of a black bag placed beside a bench near a tea shop, adjacent to the toilet block at a petrol station in Moo 10, Tha Tum Subdistrict. Fearing the bag could contain explosives or illegal substances, residents quickly alerted Sri Maha Phot Police Station.

 

Police, along with local rescue teams, arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area. Officers urged customers to evacuate or keep a safe distance while an investigation was carried out. The bag was sealed, with a piece of white A4 paper attached bearing a handwritten message: “Please don’t throw this away. Someone will come to collect it tomorrow.” The reverse side of the paper included a photocopy of a household registration document.

 

Concerned over the possibility of explosives or even a concealed body, police refrained from opening the bag immediately. Officers contacted the name listed on the attached ID documentation. Around 20 minutes later, a woman arrived at the scene and identified the bag as hers.

 

Ms. Thanpimon Pramjon, a 47-year-old cleaner, had initially spotted the bag and alerted the station’s staff. “At first, I noticed the paper and thought it might be something dangerous. Given the current climate with so many bomb scares, we didn’t want to take any chances,” she said. “The bag felt heavy too and no one knew when it had been left there.”

 

The woman who collected the bag explained that it simply contained clothes and she had left it temporarily for a friend to collect the next day, using the note as a reminder.

 

Police Sergeant Luechai Rojanadechphokin of Sri Maha Phot Police Station said the response followed standard security protocols. “When we arrived, the bag was unattended, the zip not fully closed, and no one claimed it. We treated it as a potential explosive risk until it was confirmed safe.”

 

He added that officers had initially contacted the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit but were able to resolve the situation after confirming the owner’s identity through the registration copy.

 

Police issued a formal warning to the woman and reminded the public to avoid leaving bags in public spaces without clear identification or supervision. Sgt. Luechai also urged the public to avoid touching or opening any suspicious items and to report them to authorities immediately.

 

“For safety, always stay at least 50 metres away from any suspicious object. That’s the minimum safe distance in the event of a real explosive,” he advised.

 

The incident served as a stark reminder of the heightened awareness required in public spaces in light of recent bomb threats.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Amarin 2025-06-30