PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN — A man who sought revenge on the state railway for destroying his fish pond was arrested Thursday with a suspected accomplice after their third attempt to derail a train caused damages.
Police arrested Preecha Kamthai and Padungsak Kunnasak in connection with the April 17 accident, in which a northbound train to Bangkok was damaged after striking a metal plate and rod left lying on the tracks in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
The 400 passengers onboard were unharmed and the train didn’t derail, but its brake system and oil tank were damaged, causing a seven-hour delay as it underwent repairs.
Padungsak, who was arrested first, reportedly confessed to being Preecha’s accomplice, further revealing that this had been the pair’s third attempt to derail a train.
“On Jan. 18, we removed three unused wooden railroad ties and put them on a track. There was no accident that day,” he told police.
A week later, they allegedly upgraded to concrete poles taken from a power plant. Padungsak said this time Preecha put the poles on the track.
He added that Preecha was angry with the state railway because it ploughed over his fish pond during a redevelopment project several years ago.
Police found Preecha soon after arresting Padungsak and brought him in for questioning. He denied all accusations.
