Chachoengsao: A man was arrested for setting an ATM on fire in a public display of rage following a dispute with his pregnant girlfriend. The incident occurred on Suwinthawong Road, on the inbound side towards Chachoengsao city, in front of a factory.
According to Thai News Agency, the man, identified as Mr. Nattawat, 27, was apprehended by police from Mueang Chachoengsao Police Station shortly after the incident. A video captured the moment of his arrest, showing the ATM engulfed in flames. Despite efforts by security guards using fire extinguishers, the fire continued to rage until a fire truck from the Wang Takian Subdistrict Administrative Organization arrived to extinguish it successfully.
During police questioning, Mr. Nattawat, who was found to be intoxicated, confessed to the arson. He explained that he had traveled from Bangkok to visit a monk at a nearby temple. After the visit, he engaged in a heated phone conversation with his girlfriend, who is pregnant. The argument escalated to the point where she taunted him, saying, "I want you to go to jail." In a fit of anger, he collected trash from the roadside, stuffed it into the ATM, and set it on fire using a lighter. He admitted that his initial plan was to rob a gold shop, but he changed his mind due to the late hour and opted for the ATM instead.
The police conducted an initial search and found a lighter and a drug-drinking straw on Mr. Nattawat, though no drugs were discovered. He was taken into custody to sober up and is scheduled for a urine test to determine drug use, as legal proceedings are prepared against him.