Photo courtesy of Khaosod

Three trailer drivers in Chonburi Province are accused of siphoning diesel fuel valued at over 3.6 million baht, approximately £80,000, and replacing it with water. The alleged theft occurred before delivering the fuel to a vessel bound for an offshore oil rig. The incident was reported on 25 January 2026 by Thanaporn Udomratnukulchai, transport manager for Pattamwat Petroleum Co., Ltd.

The theft involved three tanker trucks, each loaded with 42,000 litres of B-0 diesel fuel, totaling 126,000 litres. The discovery of the theft was made during a routine inspection at the Juk Samet pier in Sattahip, revealing that the tankers contained only water. The drivers fled when their actions were uncovered, and authorities failed to apprehend them at the scene.

The fuel had been collected earlier that day from a storage facility in Mab Ta Phut, Rayong. Sattahip Police, led by Col. Komsan Kamtuenkaew, are investigating the route taken by the trucks using GPS data to identify any irregularities or stops made by the drivers. Local police confirmed that the trailers were indeed filled with water instead of diesel.

Authorities are actively gathering evidence to track down the suspects and resolve the case. There is a strong commitment to ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice. The focus now is on tracing the drivers and uncovering any additional accomplices involved, reported Khaosod.

Key Takeaways

• Three drivers in Chonburi are suspects in a diesel theft worth over 3.6 million baht.

• The fuel was discovered to be replaced with water during an inspection.

• Police are using GPS data to trace the tankers' routes and find the suspects.

Related Stories

Fishing Boat Intercepted with 4,000 Litres of Smuggled Diesel

Navy Seizes Tanker With 10,000 Litres of Diesel

  

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Khaosod 2026-01-23

 

 

How did these idiots think they were going to get away with this? Obviously have no idea about the QA proceedures associated with fuels etc. bound for offshore facilities.

Crazy.

They were always going to get caught. They should have just stolen the whole truck with the diesel. 🙂

23 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Crazy.

They were always going to get caught. They should have just stolen the whole truck with the diesel. 🙂

They escaped, they have not been caught.

Where could they have disposed of that amount of diesel?

2 hours ago, wil iam not said:

Where could they have disposed of that amount of diesel?

Petrol station? Trucking or bus company ? Obviously they had preplanned outlet or they never filled in rayong at all

On 1/27/2026 at 10:59 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

They escaped, they have not been caught.

They will be, or do you think you get to drive for a company without showing any ID? 🙂

On 1/27/2026 at 11:42 AM, wil iam not said:

Where could they have disposed of that amount of diesel?

The police should be working with suppliers to find out who HAS NOT placed a regular order this week. They could be in receipt of the stolen property.