A 22-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly setting fire to forest land inside Namtok Chat Trakan National Park, later confessing that he did it “for fun” and to see forest officers rush in to extinguish the blaze.
The incident took place on April 18, 2026, at around 9.30am in the Kaeng Hat Oi forest area in Village No. 2, Tha Sakae Subdistrict, Phitsanulok Province, which falls under the jurisdiction of the protected national park.
According to the Office of Protected Area Management Region 11, park officials had been conducting routine patrols amid a period of heightened forest fire risk. A ban on entry to the national park had already been in place from January 15 to April 30, 2026, due to ongoing fire threats in the area.
During patrols, officers spotted a suspicious individual later identified as a 22-year-old man from Chat Trakan District behaving in a manner consistent with deliberately starting a fire. A lighter was recovered from him during the arrest.
Authorities said the suspect admitted to intentionally igniting the forest, claiming he acted out of boredom and curiosity. He reportedly told officers he wanted to see forest officials respond and extinguish the fire after being alerted.
Park officials described the act as reckless and harmful to natural resources, stressing that such behaviour causes severe environmental damage for no justifiable reason.
The suspect has been handed over to Chat Trakan Police Station and will face legal proceedings under relevant environmental and forestry laws.
