PATHUM THANI, Thailand – A luxury hybrid sedan burst into flames after being left charging overnight outside a townhouse in Pathum Thani, sending thick smoke billowing from the vehicle and prompting fears that the fire could spread to the residence. The incident occurred on August 15 at a housing estate in Khlong Sam subdistrict, Khlong Luang district, where firefighters were dispatched to reports of a car fire.

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The white sedan was parked outside a two-storey townhouse when smoke began pouring from the cabin, prompting firefighters to quickly connect their hoses and work to prevent the flames from reaching neighboring areas. The blaze took approximately one hour to bring under control, and an inspection later revealed that the driver’s compartment had been severely damaged by the fire.

The owner, identified as Phawatkul, said he had arrived home at around 10 p.m. and plugged the car in to charge before going upstairs to sleep, only to be alerted at about 8 a.m. by a security guard who rang the doorbell after noticing smoke coming from the vehicle.

The owner rushed downstairs, unplugged the charger, and went to retrieve the car keys, but when he opened the vehicle, a large amount of smoke suddenly poured from the cabin. He initially suspected the fire may have been linked to overheating of the hybrid battery, though the exact cause remains unknown, and it has not yet been established whether the battery had deteriorated or whether there was a fault in the vehicle’s electrical system.

The owner said the vehicle’s display had shown no warning message or error signal before the incident, adding that he considered the outcome fortunate because the fire could have spread to the townhouse and caused much greater damage, with his quick response and the arrival of firefighters preventing the blaze from spreading beyond the vehicle.

The car was bought second-hand for slightly more than one million baht, and the owner had possessed it for about two years, while the vehicle’s total age, including its previous period of use, is estimated at approximately four years.

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The owner has since notified his insurer, with the vehicle covered by comprehensive first-class insurance, and the insurance company has already contacted him and begun handling the case. Authorities continue to investigate the precise cause of the fire as concerns over the safety of hybrid vehicle charging systems persist.

-Thailand News (TN)