An Australian man was arrested after a dramatic incident in which he ran naked, set fire to his house, and damaged vehicles in a luxury village in Nongprue near Pattaya.
Pol. Lt. Col. Nattakon Chanlod, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations at Nongprue Police Station, received a report about a foreigner acting erratically and threatening to destroy property and set his house on fire. The incident occurred in an upscale residential area in East Pattaya.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found a black Ford Everest and a blue-and-white Honda Click motorcycle damaged in front of a luxury home. The suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Australian national Mr. Andrew, was reportedly naked and behaving erratically. He allegedly threatened the police, saying, “If you come near me, I’ll set fire to my house.” Despite the police’s attempts to de-escalate the situation, Mr. Andrew ran inside the house, causing a commotion. Moments later, smoke and flames began pouring from the property.
The police immediately contacted the Nongprue Municipality fire department and requested additional patrol support. As the fire truck arrived, Mr. Andrew emerged from the house. Police moved in to arrest him, but he resisted, resulting in a struggle. Officers eventually subdued him and transported him to Banglamung Hospital to treat cuts and burns.
Ms. A (name withheld for privacy), a 56-year-old neighbor, reported that Mr. Andrew, his Thai wife, and their two children had been renting the house for about 5-6 months. She mentioned that Mr. Andrew had a history of depression and bipolar disorder, often becoming violent when off his medication. In recent days, his behavior had worsened, culminating in the chaotic events that morning.
A village security guard witnessed Mr. Andrew’s wife fleeing the house and seeking refuge at the guard post. The guard also saw Mr. Andrew trying to damage vehicles and reported that he seemed unresponsive to attempts at communication. When police arrived, they tried negotiating with him, but he ran back inside the house and started the fire.
CCTV footage captured Mr. Andrew naked, using a steel grate to damage the vehicles before the fire broke out. The fire department arrived at 8:56 AM, and police managed to apprehend Mr. Andrew and remove him from the house.
Police plan to have medical experts assess Mr. Andrew’s mental health before proceeding with any legal actions. They also intend to work with Chonburi Immigration to investigate his visa and legal status in Thailand.
