CHONBURI, THAILAND – A suspected jealousy-driven car bomb attack on a woman in Chonburi failed after only part of the devices under her vehicle detonated and the target survived.
Explosion in Don Hua Lo area
The case became known on 24 December 2025 near the Don Hua Lo Police Station in Chonburi, when witnesses suddenly saw smoke, flames and heard a loud bang under a parked car. Shortly beforehand, police had been alerted to a suspicious object beneath the vehicle, prompting officers to secure the area and warn the woman at the last moment.
Specialists later found four improvised firebombs in bottles under the car, of which only one partially exploded while three others still contained explosives. Investigators stated that all four devices had been mounted directly under the fuel tank and connected to a remote ignition system whose faulty wiring prevented the full explosive load from detonating.
Investigation and arrests
The deputy regional commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Chokchai Ngamwong ordered an expanded investigation and tasked Pol. Maj. Gen. Pongphan Wongmanithet, commander of Chonburi Provincial Police, with leading the operation. Teams reviewed extensive CCTV footage and questioned residents, reconstructing the night of the crime until three suspects were identified and arrest warrants obtained from the Rayong Provincial Court.
On 24 February 2026, officers searched several locations in the provinces of Chonburi and Rayong and arrested 38‑year‑old Kasama and two 34‑year‑old men, Somkid and Thinawat. During the raids, police seized a vehicle allegedly used in the attack, fake licence plates, a remote-controlled detonator and more than twenty additional pieces of evidence.
Motive and planning
According to police, the main suspect believed the victim had a relationship with her husband and, out of revenge, allegedly hired two acquaintances to help plan and carry out the attack. Investigators said Kasama had acquired knowledge on building the explosive devices from YouTube videos, ordered ignition components online and tested the device in advance to check its functionality.
One of the co-suspects, Thinawat, was said to have attached a GPS tracker to the victim’s car on the woman’s instructions in order to closely monitor her movements. Police reported that the group rented a car in Rayong on 22 December 2025, scouted the target area the following day and finally mounted the four bombs under the tank on 23 December, before waiting at an agreed location and triggering the remote detonator as the victim drove past.
Confessions and charges
After the partial failure of the ignition, the devices produced smoke and visible flames but caused only limited damage, allowing the driver to stop and discover the explosives. Forensic and digital traces, video recordings and witness statements led, according to Pol. Lt. Gen. Chatchai Surachetphong, commander of Provincial Police Region 2, to the issuing of arrest warrants.
“All three arrested individuals have admitted their involvement in planning and execution.”
said Pol. Lt. Gen. Chatchai Surachetphong, commander of Provincial Police Region 2.
Investigators classified the case as clear attempted murder with intent because the devices were placed beneath the fuel tank. In addition, the suspects faced charges of jointly causing an explosion endangering people and property, as well as unlawful manufacture and possession of explosives, and the case was being pursued through formal judicial proceedings.