Bullets and Buddha statues found in Thai roadside ditch

2026-01-29 - 02:51

CHACHOENGSAO — 28 January 2026, Thai woman was injured after her motorcycle veered off the road into a roadside drainage ditch, leading to the discovery of nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition and religious artefacts dumped in the water, police said. The incident occurred late in the afternoon when local police in Chukcho subdistrict were alerted by residents who reported finding a large quantity of ammunition discarded in a ditch along Ban Don Road, Soi 5, Moo 4, in Mueang district, Chachoengsao province. Officers arriving at the scene found a large white fertiliser sack with green markings near the ditch. Nearby was a pile of ammunition, including practice rounds for .38-calibre firearms and 12-gauge shotgun shells, some still in their boxes and others loose. Police also recovered two Buddha statues measuring about 5–7 inches across the lap and a bronze likeness of King Rama IV. Residents told police the discovery followed a motorcycle accident involving a woman identified as Urai Jitprasong, aged about 45–50. She lost control of her motorcycle and fell into the roadside ditch, suffering injuries that required her to be taken to hospital. Afterwards, children from her household came to retrieve the motorcycle and search the water for her missing mobile phone and the motorcycle’s remote key. While searching the area, one of the children stepped on a heavy sack submerged in the ditch. They dragged it up onto the embankment and emptied its contents, only to be startled by the sight of a large cache of ammunition and religious items inside. Police believe the items may have been stolen and hastily dumped by suspects who panicked after noticing patrol officers in the area. Villagers said their dogs had barked loudly late at night three to four days earlier, raising suspicions that someone may have been moving through the area at the time. Local leaders, village headmen and police routinely conduct night patrols in the subdistrict, which officers believe may have prompted the suspects to abandon the sack in the ditch. Pol. Capt. Wichai Anansapying, deputy investigation chief at Mueang Chachoengsao police station, said all recovered items had been seized and handed over to investigators to trace their ownership and check whether any theft reports have been filed. He said the ammunition boxes were still in good condition and had not been significantly damaged by water, suggesting they had been dumped only two to three days earlier.