KANCHANABURI — Thai national park rangers arrested a suspected poacher carrying a firearm and ammunition near Srinakarin Dam National Park, foiling an alleged plan to start forest fires to hunt wildlife, officials said on 21 January 2026.
Kunakorn Boonkuesong, chief of Srinakarin Dam National Park, said the arrest followed intensified patrols ordered by Athapol Charoenshansa, director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, and Rachan Bua-tree, director of Protected Area Management Office 3 in Ban Pong, to curb encroachment and forest burning during the dry season.
Rangers from Patrol Unit 5 (Huai Mae Phlu) detained a man identified as Nattawut, who withheld his surname, in forestland near Ban Wang Pha Tad in Hin Dat subdistrict, Thong Pha Phum district. He was stopped while riding a motorcycle and attempting to enter the national park, authorities said.
A search found a .22 LR rifle fitted with a scope, 28 rounds of ammunition and a full set of camping supplies, officials said.
Park authorities imposed an immediate administrative fine of 5,000 baht under the National Park Act of 2019 for bringing hunting equipment into a national park without permission. The suspect and seized items were handed over to Thong Pha Phum police for further prosecution under firearms laws.
Kunakorn said pre-emptive arrests were critical because poachers often set forest fires to flush animals into open areas for shooting, causing severe damage to ecosystems. He said authorities would pursue the maximum penalties allowed by law and urged the public to report tips to the 24-hour hotline at 1362.