Man Arrested for Arson on Teachers’ Homes and Health Officer’s Residence

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of deliberately setting fire to government residences in Surat Thani province, destroying three houses and partially damaging a traditional Thai massage building.

Police said the incident occurred around 11.45 on 11 July in Moo 7, Sin Charoen subdistrict, Phrasaeng district. The blaze destroyed two teacher residences at Ban Bang Rhiang School and one house belonging to a staff member of the local Health Promotion Hospital (known locally as Ror Por Sor). A nearby Thai traditional massage centre also sustained fire damage.

Pol Maj Gen Sermpan Sirikhong, Provincial Police Commander of Surat Thani, confirmed that investigators from Phrasaeng Police Station gathered sufficient evidence to obtain an arrest warrant from the Wiang Sa Provincial Court. The suspect, identified as Mr Apichart, a local resident of Moo 7 in the same subdistrict, was arrested on 12 July on charges of arson against both private and public property.

According to police reports, Mr Apichart has confessed to the crimes and was taken to the scenes to re-enact the events. Officers said he broke into the health officer’s residence through the back door and used fire to ignite items inside the house. He then walked behind the Thai massage building, broke a rear window using an iron bar, reached in to unlock it, and entered the premises. There, he allegedly used bedding to start a second fire. That blaze was fortunately extinguished before causing major damage.

The suspect then crossed the road and proceeded to the adjacent teacher accommodation, breaking in through the windows of two separate houses and setting them alight from within. The entire sequence of events took place when the premises were unoccupied.

Pol Maj Gen Sermpan said investigators have been ordered to urgently determine Mr Apichart’s motive for targeting government buildings in quick succession. Legal proceedings are ongoing.

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-07-14