Pictures courtesy of SiamNews

A 58-year-old taxi driver was found burned to death inside his car in a village in Buriram province in the early hours of 30 January 2026. The vehicle was discovered engulfed in flames on a concrete road in Ban Tha Ngam village, Phutthaisong district, with the fire destroying the car completely and leaving the victim dead at the scene. Police said the immediate cause of the fire remains unknown.

The burned vehicle was a Toyota taxi parked awkwardly on the right shoulder of a village road. Inside the driver’s seat, forensic officers found a male body severely burned. The victim was later identified as Kuson Suriwong, 58, a resident of Ban Tha Ngam village in Phutthaisong district, Buriram.

Police reported that no signs of struggle, forced entry, or suspicious objects were found around the scene. Officers from the forensic unit conducted an initial examination of the vehicle and surrounding area shortly after the fire was reported. The incident occurred after midnight, with emergency services alerted by local residents.

Village headman Lamut Sribungngao, who is also the victim’s brother-in-law, said residents called him at around 01:00 to report a taxi on fire. By the time he and other villagers arrived, the flames had already consumed most of the car and the body inside. He said it was unclear what sparked the blaze but questioned whether recent repair work on the dual LPG vehicle had been completed properly.

The victim’s niece, Sunisa Onthaisong, 46, said her uncle worked as a taxi driver in Bangkok and had returned to Buriram only three days earlier. She said he had planned to raise money to repay a loan from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives. According to her account, Kuson told family members that his car broke down in Prathai district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, while travelling from Bangkok.

She said a mechanic in Prathai quoted 20,000 baht for repairs, which Kuson could not afford. Instead, he asked the mechanic to reassemble the car and paid 5,000 baht in labour costs. Sunisa added that her uncle often slept inside his car and suffered from a chronic leg condition.

SiamNews reported that police said the family has expressed no suspicions and is leaving the investigation to authorities. Pol Lt Decha Butwiset, a deputy investigator at Phutthaisong police station, confirmed that the victim’s remains had been sent to the Police General Hospital’s forensic institute. Further examination is underway to determine the exact cause and the origin of the fire.

Key Takeaways

• A 58-year-old taxi driver, Kuson Suriwong, died after his car caught fire in Buriram on 30 January 2026.

• The vehicle had undergone incomplete repairs days earlier after a breakdown in Nakhon Ratchasima.

• Police are awaiting forensic results to determine the precise cause of the fire.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from Siamnews 2026-01-31

 

 

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

So many gone up in flames

Very few actually go up in flames.

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

It's a modified LPG vehicle

No, as the article clearly states, it is a dual-fuel vehicle, i.e. it is petrol-fueled from the factory and fitted with an additional aftermarket LPG tank.

A troll post trolling about an EV and the replies have been removed as the article says it was a dual LPG vehicle.

13 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

She said a mechanic in Prathai quoted 20,000 baht for repairs, which Kuson could not afford. Instead, he asked the mechanic to reassemble the car and paid 5,000 baht in labour costs.

Well I think there, is the problem, sadly 15,000b cost his life, and IMO money comes before safety here.