100000 baht missing following suspicious house fire in Phrae
Netizens suspect that fire used to cover up theft committed by one of family members
A Thai man is suspected of theft after a fire broke out in his room in Phrae province, and 100,000 baht in cash he had hidden behind a picture disappeared.
Officers from Phra That Cho Hae Police Station received an alert about the fire at 9.10am yesterday, September 25, and rushed to the scene, a house in the Bang Pa Daeng community in the Mueang district of Phrae. Locals managed to control the blaze before the police arrived.
The owner of the house, 76 year old Boonthan, told officers that the fire started in the bedroom of his relative, Arthit, who was away working in Nan province at the time.
Boonthan suspected that his 16 year old grandson, Supawit, may have left his phone charger plugged in, causing an electrical short circuit and sparking the fire.
According to ThaiRath, the fire damaged only one side of the wall and a picture on display in the room. The rest of the house remained intact.
Another grandson, 23 year old Suttinon, reportedly phoned Arthit to inform him about the incident. Arthit expressed concern and revealed to his family that he had hidden 100,000 baht in cash behind the picture, urging police to search for the money.
Police officers and Boonthan’s family searched both the spot and the rest of the house but were unable to find the money. No traces of burned banknotes were noticed at the scene as well.
Boonthan’s neighbour, 47 year old Naruemon, said she had helped the family control the fire but did not notice any cash at the scene. She explained that she entered the house with a wet towel and placed it on the picture and other belongings at risk of catching fire. Other locals then arrived with extinguishers to put out the flames.
Police investigated the scene and collected as much evidence as possible before leaving. The cause of the fire, as well as the disappearance of the cash, has not yet been confirmed. Officers urged Arthit to return to Phrae to provide further details about the money.
Netizens shared their suspicions online, suggesting that a family member may have stolen the money and used the fire as an excuse.
In a similar case reported in February, a Thai woman named Nittaya told police her home had caught fire and that 10 million baht belonging to her employer had gone missing in the incident.
Police later discovered that Nittaya and her family had intentionally set fire to their home. After the truth emerged, the family fled to a neighbouring country.
Officers also traced financial transactions involving Nittaya and her relatives, finding that they had received money from multiple bank accounts. However, the results of that investigation have not yet been made public.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
