Man surrenders with homemade bomb after petrol station threat

A young man handed himself over to the police after threatening a petrol station attendant with a homemade bomb in Ratchaburi, Thailand. The 20 year old suspect even brought the explosive device with him to the police station, causing a significant commotion.

Police in Photharam received a report that a suspect had surrendered and was carrying an explosive. Officers quickly responded by covering the bomb with four tyres and cordoning off the area in front of the investigation room to ensure public safety.

Upon receiving the information, reporters rushed to the scene, finding the area around the investigation room secured with ropes and the bomb wrapped in black electrical tape and concealed within the tyres.
Police took steps to keep unauthorised personnel away from the dangerous area.

The suspect, identified as Thanakorn from Khung Krathin, had previously thrown an explosive device at a petrol station in Photharam on the night of October 16. Following this incident, Photharam’s Police Chief, Chatchon Narawutiporn, instructed investigative officers led by Panruk Soithongmun to track down the bomber, eventually pressuring Thanakorn’s family to bring him in for questioning.

During the interrogation, Thanakorn exhibited suspicious behaviour, prompting officers to search both his person and his motorcycle parked outside the investigation room. To their astonishment, they discovered a bomb in his backpack placed in the motorcycle’s front basket. The device was quickly moved to an open area in front of the investigation room and covered with tyres, while the bomb disposal unit was summoned.

Thanakorn revealed that on the night of October 16, he and five friends (three men and three women) rode their motorcycles to the petrol station. A friend’s girlfriend teased one of the attendants and shared a drink with him, which angered Thanakorn.

Bomb threat

As they left, he threw the homemade bomb at the station before fleeing. Realising the police were closing in, he decided to surrender, unfortunately bringing the explosive with him.

According to Thanakorn, he crafted the bomb himself using two pieces of railway ballast, explosive material from firecrackers, nails, and grains of rice, all wrapped in newspaper and secured with electrical tape. He claimed that his intention was merely to create noise and smoke, not to cause harm, and insisted that he usually did not include nails in his bombs, reported KhaoSod.

Police have charged Thanakorn with possession of an explosive device and are proceeding with legal action. The bomb was soaked in water to render it safe while awaiting the arrival of the bomb disposal unit (EOD) to secure and destroy it.