Tyred and fired! Pattaya garage inferno erupts after fuel blunder
Petrol mix-up sparks blaze that wrecks five motors and leaves two injured
A routine fuel drain turned into a fireball fiasco in a Pattaya garage after a misfuelled Toyota Alphard burst into flames, torching five vehicles and sending plumes of smoke across Phonprapanimit Road.
Emergency services rushed to the Somphot Service garage near Moo 7 at 3.30pm on Saturday, July 13, after a blazing inferno engulfed the car repair and tyre shop.
Police Lieutenant Boorapha Jaihan, Deputy Inspector of Nong Prue police, dispatched five fire engines and rescue teams from the Nong Prue Municipality, Pattaya City, and Pong subdistrict to tackle the blaze.
Upon arrival, firefighters found flames raging inside the garage and immediately shut down traffic on both sides of the road for safety. It took over 40 minutes of heavy hose work to bring the fire under control.
The damage? Five vehicles, including a Toyota Alphard, a sedan, and a pickup, were charred. All workshop tools and machinery were wiped out in the blaze.
Two people were injured, one man suffered burns to his leg and was rushed to hospital, while 21 year old Than Sae-lor, the Alphard’s owner, sustained minor injuries.
Than told Pattaya News he was en route back to Bangkok when he stopped to refuel at a Bangchak petrol station, only for an attendant to pump in the wrong type of diesel. The station advised him to get the fuel drained at Somphot Service.
“As the fuel-draining was nearly done, flames suddenly shot out. Everyone ran: me, the workers, and even the guy from the gas station,” Than said.
Initial investigations suggest a rogue spark may have ignited the vapours during the fuel drain, triggering the firestorm. Police and fire investigators will conduct a full forensic probe to determine the exact cause.
The drama follows another fire scare last month in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district, when a blaze ripped through a fresh produce shop at 4.06am on June 24, forcing the panicked owner to leap from the second floor.
Locals rushed to help extinguish the flames, fearing they could spread to a nearby fireworks stockpile. The two-storey commercial building housed groceries, frozen foods, and meat products — and was left gutted.
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