A homeless windscreen washer suspected of causing the fire that damaged the Thai-Belgian Bridge late last month has been arrested, and admitted dropping a cigarette butt on a bunch of dried leaves beneath the bridge, according to police.
Samran Muangkhiaw, 31, aka EK Lock1, was caught near Thanyaburi Welfare Centre for Homeless Men in Pathum Thani on Thursday evening.
He was wanted on a court warrant issued on March 15 for causing the fire that damaged the bridge. He was seen on surveillance camera footage walking at the base of the bridge just before the fire.
Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Sanit Mahathavorn said at a media briefing that he had ordered city police to look for the suspect seen in the surveillance footage. Forensic police had concluded the fire on the morning of Feb 28 was started by a cigarette butt found at the scene. A reward of 10,000 had been offered for information leading to his arrest.
The 31-year-old suspect is thought to be the leader of a gang offering a windscreen cleaning service to motorists at traffic lights at the nearby Henri Dunant and Witthayu intersections, police said.
Mr Samran allegedly confessed he was sleeping beneath the Thai-Belgian bridge on the morning of the fire. Around 6am, he woke up and relieved himself nearby. At the time he was smoking a discarded cigarette butt he found, and afterwards dropped it on some leaves near garbage bins stored under the bridge. He then left the area, heading to Saladaeng intersection near Lumpini park where his friends were sleeping.
On the way, he looked back and saw black smoke coming from beneath the bridge. He was so scared he ran away.
Pol Lt Gen Sanit said Mr Samran insisted he had no links to any political group or any conflict with other homeless people.
Mr Samran was handed over to Thung Mahamek police and taken back to the scene for a re-enactment on Friday.
The fire damaged the bridge structure, causing safety concerns and forced its partial closure for repairs, resulting in traffic jams on congested Rama IV Road. The work is expected to continue until May 15.
Samran Muangkhiaw, 31, alias EK Lock1, shows police where he dropped a cigarette butt beneath the Thai-Belgian bridge, causing the fire on Feb 28. (Photo by Krit Phromsaka Na Sakolnakorn)