PATTAYA, THAILAND – Two pickup trucks belonging to the manager of Thailand’s national jetski team were completely destroyed in a parking lot fire on Friday afternoon.
Fire on workshop dormitory parking lot
The blaze broke out on the afternoon of 16 January 2026 at around 3:30 p.m. on the parking lot of an employee dormitory of a well-known jetski workshop in Soi Thepprasit 8 in Pattaya, Chonburi province. According to authorities, the fire first started in a white Ford four-door pickup (Chonburi plate งต-8626). The flames quickly spread to a bronze-colored Vigo pickup (Nakhon Ratchasima plate ผจ 111) parked alongside.
Police and rescue units respond
Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthephan Thapsri, an investigator at Pattaya City Police Station, received the report and went to the scene. He was supported by three fire trucks from the city of Pattaya and rescue personnel from the Sawang Boriboon Foundation. When they arrived, both vehicles were already engulfed, with cabins and bodies fully consumed by fire, and firefighters brought the blaze under control using water but found only burned-out wrecks.
Workshop employee describes sudden smoke and flames
Osman, a 26-year-old Cambodian national and employee of the jetski workshop, said he had driven the Ford from the workplace to the dormitory and parked it in the garage area before briefly leaving on an errand. On his return, he noticed smoke coming from the Ford and soon saw flames.
“I tried to put out the fire with a chemical extinguisher, but it was already too late,”
said Osman, employee of the jetski workshop. The blaze rapidly spread to the Vigo parked next to it.
Jetski national team manager owns both vehicles
Both vehicles belonged to Chawalit Kuejrujun, 50, manager of the Thai national jetski team and a former jetski world champion known in the sport as “Iron Man.” He arrived at the parking lot after the fire had broken out and was visibly affected by the destruction. Chawalit said he had instructed Osman to drive and park the Ford earlier and acknowledged that the Ford had previously known electrical issues, stating:
“I did not expect that it would lead to such a serious fire.”
said Chawalit Kuejrujun, manager of the Thai national jetski team.
Investigators focus on suspected electrical defect
Police documented the scene, collected evidence and took initial statements. Based on current findings, investigators considered an electrical defect in the Ford pickup to be the likely cause of the fire. Specialists from the Police Forensic Science Office (PFSO) were expected to conduct a detailed examination of the vehicle before the final cause of the blaze would be officially confirmed.
No injuries but significant loss for jetski community
No injuries were reported in connection with the incident. For Thailand’s jetski scene, the total loss of the two vehicles represented a substantial material setback, while authorities continued their investigation into the fire.