2 Thai teenagers admit to homemade bombs that kill boy

Petch PetpailinFriday, April 4, 2025Last Updated: Friday, April 4, 2025

172 1 minute read

2 Thai teenagers admit to homemade bombs that kill boy — Photo via Naewna

Police yesterday arrested two Thai teenagers for making bombs that led to the death of a nine year old boy in the Isaan province of Phichit.

The young boy lost his life after picking up an unidentified object he found on the road, which turned out to be a homemade bomb that exploded immediately upon contact. The fatal explosion occurred on March 23, but the incident only gained public attention on Wednesday, April 2.

Local officials unexpectedly confirmed that three bombs had exploded shortly before the fatal incident, and one more device was found and safely disposed of after the boy’s death.

The boy’s mother came forward to seek justice for her son after the case saw no progress. Local police had not initially identified the person responsible for the bomb or the motive behind placing explosive devices in the area.

Following public pressure after the story went viral, officers from the Phichit Provincial Police and Wang Sai Poon Police Station arrested two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, who confessed to having made all of the bombs found in the area.

Homemade bomb kills nine year old boy — Photo via FM91 BKK

Police apprehended the two teens at their homes in the same community as the dead boy. Their houses were reportedly only 300 metres from the scene of the explosion. During a search of their homes, officers discovered 10 homemade bombs in their possession.

Teenagers arrested for bomb making — Photo via Naewna

The teenage suspects revealed that they, along with four to five other friends, created the bombs after watching YouTube tutorial videos.

The devices were made from firecrackers and rocks. They also admitted to leaving the bombs at the site of the incident as an experiment.

Teenage bomb makers arrested after deadly explosion — Photo via FM91 BKK

The two teenagers are currently being detained at the Central Juvenile and Family Court, awaiting further legal proceedings. Police have not confirmed whether they will investigate or arrest the remaining teenage suspects.

Officials from the Phichit Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office have pledged to compensate the boy’s family and are also providing mental health support to family members.

Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.