Ant nest blamed for blaze at ex-candidate’s home

2026-02-11 - 03:06

CHAIYAPHUM — 11 February 2026, A house in Chaiyaphum province was destroyed by fire in the early hours of Wednesday after an apparent electrical short circuit believed to have been caused by ants nesting inside a power socket. Police at Muang Chaiyaphum station were alerted to the blaze at about 04:00 at house number 155, Moo 17, in Chilong subdistrict. Fire engines from Chilong Subdistrict Administrative Organisation and Chaiyaphum Municipality, along with rescue workers from the Sawang Khunatham Foundation, were dispatched to the scene. The single-storey wooden house with a corrugated iron roof was engulfed in flames that began inside a room before spreading rapidly throughout the building. Thick smoke and flames billowed into the sky. Firefighters took about 40 minutes to bring the blaze under control and prevent it from spreading to nearby homes. The property belongs to Soshoch Su Non Tat, 67, a retired teacher, national folk artist and former parliamentary candidate for Constituency 2 in Chaiyaphum. The room where the fire broke out was used as an office and for teaching traditional northeastern Thai music. It contained numerous musical instruments, including phin lutes, khaen mouth organs, percussion instruments, a bass guitar and drum kits, as well as computer equipment and an air-conditioning unit. All were destroyed. Soshoch said no one was in the room at the time of the fire. He, his wife and their son were staying in an adjacent house. At about 04:00, his son woke to use the bathroom and noticed the flames, prompting him to call the 191 emergency hotline. Preliminary investigations suggest red ants had built a nest inside an electrical socket. Soshoch said he had encountered the problem before and cleaned the socket several times. However, he had not been at home much recently and, combined with hot weather, the ants were believed to have built up a dense nest inside the socket, causing a short circuit and the rapid outbreak of fire. Damage to the building and its contents, particularly more than 10 musical instruments, was estimated at no less than 400,000 baht. Police said the initial cause was believed to be an electrical short circuit. Forensic officers will conduct a detailed examination to confirm the cause and formally assess the damage.