The area, near a mangrove forest behind the Baan Kho En Tambon Health Promoting Hospital, was roped off for safety after Baan Kho En villager headman Somnuek Patee reported the find to Tha Chatchai Police at about 7pm.
Mr Somnuek told the responding police officer, Maj Preecha Kongchoo of the Tha Chatchai Police, that he was notified of the find by Tawit Chaibutsee, a 42-year-old construction worker from Khon Kaen.
Soon to arrive at the scene with Tha Chatchai Police were soldiers stationed at the Phuket Checkpoint as well as rescue workers.
The two rusted objects now suspected to be antique cannons were one and a half meters long, and officials from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) were called in to ensure the objects were safe to handle.
Mr Tawit, who first found objects, told officers that a backhoe was clearing the area in order to build a house near Baan Kho En School, about 500 metres away.
“The backhoe moved objects from there and dropped them here,” he said.
“We saw the objects dumped along with cement rubble. I took a better look and saw that the objects looked very similar to cannons, so I informed the village headman,” Mr Tawit added.
The discovery of the suspected cannons follows a World War I minesweeping float being discovered at Nai Yang Beach in October last year, although the object was originally feared to be a lost torpedo from World War II, causing much anxiety among local residents. (See stories here and here.)