Man sets family home ablaze after drug-fuelled threat
A man under the influence of drugs allegedly set his house on fire with his wife and grandchild still inside before fleeing the scene. The wife, in tears, expressed disbelief, revealed he threatened to do it but added that she never thought he would go through with it.
At 9pm yesterday, March 5, Police Lieutenant Piyanat Akkaraphumphol, Deputy Inspector of Investigation at Nong Han Police Station in Udon Thani province, received a report of a house fire at number 6, Village 19, Ban Don Sanam, Nong Han subdistrict, Nong Han district, Udon Thani.
Police, including the Udon Thani Promotion Foundation at the Nong Han service point and the Koksung subdistrict municipality fire truck, responded to the call.
Upon arrival, they found a two-storey house made of a mix of concrete and wood engulfed in flames. Firefighters spent approximately one hour extinguishing the blaze, but the entire house was destroyed.
Sunan Chanthapram, the 54 year old wife of the suspect, identified her husband, 54 year old Panya Somsri, as the perpetrator. She stated that Panya fled after the incident. The couple had been married for decades and had three children together but recently, Panya had been using drugs and drinking alcohol daily.
Sunan explained that the burned house belonged to her sister, who lived in south Thailand, leaving Sunan, her husband, and their children to reside there. Upon her sister’s return, Sunan’s husband, often drunk, frequently argued with her sister.
House fire
Sunan had asked Panya to sleep in the rice field due to his behaviour but he would often return inebriated and sometimes physically assaulted Sunan and their children. Sunan, in tears, expressed disbelief.
“I never thought Panya would genuinely set the house on fire. We have been together for many years. He had been drunk after drinking alcohol and taking drugs all week. The previous day, he had physically assaulted me, leaving me with a bruised face.”
On the day of the incident, while she was on the phone with their child in Khon Kaen, Panya approached her while drinking water. Sunan told him to leave, to which he threatened her.
“I will burn you alive. I will burn you and our grandchild.”
She believed this was merely an empty threat.
Typically, Sunan would sleep in the room where the fire started. However, on this occasion, her young grandchild, who was visiting, decided to sleep with Sunan’s sister in a nearby house. Sunan joined them, which ultimately saved them from being burned to death.
Warunee Chanthapram, Sunan’s 59 year old sister, confirmed that the house belonged to her. While she had been living in south Thailand, Sunan and her family stayed in the house.
Upon her return, Warunee continued living with them but Sunan’s husband often got drunk and argued with her daily. She then refused to let him stay, forcing him to sleep in the fields.
Despite this, he remained in contact with the family. Warunee expressed disbelief that he would dare set the house on fire, especially where his wife and grandchild slept, reported KhaoSod.
Investigators have called for forensic officers to examine the scene and plan to track down the suspect to proceed with legal action.
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