Meth-fuelled man burns buffalo pen, threatens father

2026-03-08 - 03:03

UDON THANI — 7 March 2026, A man allegedly under the influence of methamphetamine set fire to a pile of straw near his father’s buffalo pen and threatened to burn his father alive during a drug-fuelled outburst in northeastern Thailand, police said. Local defence volunteers and officers from Kumphawapi police station were called to a house in Village 12 of Pakho subdistrict, Kumphawapi district, after reports of a man setting fire to straw beside a buffalo enclosure belonging to his father. The suspect was identified as 34-year-old, also known as “Aat”. After starting the fire, he climbed onto the roof of the buffalo pen while reportedly hallucinating from drug use. He claimed his father was trying to kill him and threatened to burn him. His father, 59-year-old Nat, managed to escape unharmed. Firefighters from Pakho municipality rushed to the scene and extinguished the blaze, which had spread rapidly through the straw. When authorities arrived, the suspect was standing on the roof of the pen, apparently unfazed by the nearby flames. He was holding two long knives and initially refused to surrender despite prolonged attempts by officers to negotiate. Eventually, a defence volunteer who knew the suspect personally persuaded him to drop the weapons and climb down. However, he attempted to flee once on the ground before officers chased and apprehended him. The suspect’s 32-year-old sister said the family had suffered for years due to his heavy drug use. She said he had been addicted to methamphetamine for seven to eight years and had previously been arrested and sent for rehabilitation several times but repeatedly returned to drug use. “We don’t know what to do anymore. What we fear most is when he hallucinates and might hurt someone in the family,” she said. On the day of the incident, she said her brother had taken about 10 methamphetamine pills. He began hallucinating in the morning and became more violent in the afternoon, eventually setting fire to the straw pile near the buffalo pen. She said he frequently became aggressive when using drugs but behaved normally when sober. In the past he had smashed the windows of the family home with rocks, leaving their parents and relatives living in constant fear. This time, she said, his hallucinations were particularly severe and he attempted to set fire to property while threatening their father, apparently believing voices telling him his father intended to kill him. The family now plans to pursue legal action against him on arson charges in the hope that the punishment will serve as a lesson and lead to effective treatment. She also urged the government to intensify its crackdown on illegal drugs. “There are drugs everywhere now. Many young people are heavily addicted to methamphetamine,” she said.