Borrowed money turns to ashes: Thai man loses 100,000 baht in van fire (video)

A Thai man’s fortunes went up in smoke when he borrowed 100,000 baht from a bank to settle an informal debt, only to lose the entire sum in a van fire accident in the central province of Prachin Buri.

Firefighters from Prahantakam District Office in Prachin Buri rushed to extinguish the fire that broke out in the van owned by 34 year old Chumnum. Officers managed to stamp out the fire within 10 minutes, but the van and Chumnum’s belongings were completely damaged.

Fortunately, Chumnum managed to escape from the van unharmed. However, despite his physical safety, he appeared visibly distressed. He sat anxiously on the roadside near the accident site, awaiting the arrival of the authorities.

In an interview with Channel 7, Chumnum disclosed that he lost 100,000 baht in cash in the incident. He and his mother had borrowed money from the bank to settle the family’s informal debts, and he had stored the cash in the van in preparation for repayment.

While driving, he detected a burning odour and decided to pull over to inspect his van. After getting out and inspecting the vehicle for a few minutes, a fire suddenly erupted.

His mobile phone and the cash were in the van but he was unable to retrieve them. He stood and stared at the fire in confusion and shock.

Chumnum said he still could not think of a solution to the problem. He told a reporter that he would sit there until his relatives arrived at the scene.

There was no report on the cause of the fire but several news outlets speculated that it was an engine malfunction combined with the hot weather in the afternoon.

A similar incident of a motorist losing money on the rode was reported in October of 2022. In this case, several drivers noticed 1,000-baht bills scattered on a road in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen but could not identify the source.

Each driver decided to stop and collect the notes, not for themselves but to return them to their rightful owner.

Nearly 100,000 baht was returned to its owner, a Thai woman. The woman said her employer forgot her cash on the step of his vehicle’s door and drove off causing the bills to scatter around.