CHACHOENGSAO, Thailand – A 27-year-old man has been detained after an ATM in Chachoengsao was set on fire shortly after midnight on August 22, with police saying the suspect told them he acted following an argument with his pregnant girlfriend and wanted to be sent to prison. The blaze damaged the bank ATM outside Wisdom Auto Part Co Ltd on Suwinthawong Road, inbound towards Chachoengsao town, in Moo 5, Wang Takhian subdistrict, Mueang district, where police named the suspect only as Natthawat.

Dutch Man Arrested for ATM Theft in Khon Kaen After Marital Dispute

When officers arrived, flames were burning intensely around the ATM, and factory security guards had attempted to put out the fire with extinguishers but were unable to contain it because it spread quickly, until a fire engine from Wang Takhian Subdistrict Administrative Organisation arrived and firefighters brought the blaze under control using water. The suspect, who police said appeared dazed during questioning, told officers he had hired a vehicle from Bangkok to visit Luang Pho Chet, the abbot of Wat Thawin Silamongkhon, not far from the scene, and after meeting the monk, he walked to the front of the factory to rest and telephoned his pregnant girlfriend.

The pair argued, and he claimed she challenged him and told him she wanted him to go to prison, prompting him to decide to retaliate by setting fire to the ATM, collecting rubbish from a nearby bin, placing it inside the machine, and using a lighter he was carrying to ignite it. The suspect also claimed he had earlier considered robbing a gold shop but decided against it because it was late, instead setting fire to the ATM because he wanted to be jailed.

Foreign Man Vandalizes ATM in Pattaya After Card Gets Stuck

Officers said a search found no drugs on the suspect, though they discovered a lighter and a pipe used for taking drugs. Police took him to Mueang Chachoengsao Police Station to calm down before conducting a urine test for narcotics, with investigators continuing to question him further, gather evidence, and proceed with legal action. The case has drawn attention to the extreme actions taken in response to personal disputes, as authorities work to determine the full extent of the suspect’s mental state and the circumstances leading to the arson.

-Thailand News (TN)