Thai man sets fire to irrigation house in Pak Kret, wife hospitalised

A man set fire to an irrigation house in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi, leaving his wife hospitalised after an assault. The incident occurred at 5pm yesterday, July 5, prompting immediate intervention by local police and fire services.

Police responded to a call from residents reporting a man in a frenzied state setting fire to a government-owned house in Bang Talat, Pak Kret district. Firefighters from the local municipality were dispatched to the scene to control the blaze.

The house, a two-storey building used as accommodation for irrigation department employees, was significantly damaged. Neighbours attempted to extinguish the flames with water from buckets before fire services arrived with two water trucks to fully control the fire.

Police detained the suspect, 30 year old Chettha, who admitted to breaking a window and setting his shirt on fire before throwing it onto a clothes rack inside the house, causing the fire to spread.

Neighbours described Chettha’s erratic behaviour, noting his frequent destruction of property and violent tendencies towards his wife.

“We saw him smashing windows and destroying things. We were too scared to intervene because he often beats his wife. Just the other day, he beat her so badly she had to go to the hospital.”

The suspect’s wife, who arrived later to assess the damage, showed visible signs of assault with bruises and swelling on her face. She explained that they had been married for three years and shared a son. However, they separated during the Songkran festival after Chettha took her on a trip and refused to let her return to work.

“He ran off with our son when I finally got back to work. My brother-in-law, who is in the military, had to retrieve my son.”

The suspect assaulted his wife on Monday, July 1, forcing her to stay in the hospital. When friends informed her of the fire, she rushed back to find their home uninhabitable.

“Before we got married, he was never like this.”

Police charged Chettha with arson and assault. He was taken for a drug test before facing legal proceedings, reported KhaoSod.