Lt Col Somkid Onjan from the Phuket City Police was notified of the fire by staff attending the 191 national police hotline at 3am.
Police and two fire trucks soon arrived at the scene, Soi Kingkaew Uthit 2, to find the green Isuzu pickup truck, registered in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, ablaze.
Local residents had attempted by put out the fire, but had failed. Firefighters themselves took 30 minutes to douse the flames. By that time the engine bay and the interior of the pickup had sustained heavy damaged by from the fire.
The owner of the car, 68-year-old retired Royal Forest Department officer Adul Khan from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, told police that he strongly suspected arson for the fire.
Mr Adul told police that he took very good care of his pickup. He had parked it outside his house as usual and had gone to sleep last night. He woke to his 19-year-old son Sahasawan Khan shouting out that his pickup truck was on fire.
“I am certain that someone set it on fire,’ Mr Adul told police.
“Also, someone threw a rock and smashed one of my windows at 1am last Tuesday (Apr 23). My son reported that to police,” he said.
However, Mr Adul said that he was not involved in any personal conflict with anyone that he was aware of.
Lt Col Suchart Meelampong of the Phuket City Police, who has been tasked with investigating the fire, confirmed that police are investigating the fire for possible arson.
“Phuket City Police will investigate the cause of this fire and we will look into who smashed the window with the rock,” he assured.