Local authorities are flummoxed as to the cause of a high level of heat coming from beneath a house in Chiang Rai's Thoeng district.
Soldiers and local officials inspected the house in Ban Nong Raed Nua Moo 2 village after the owner, Sawang Siri-ard, 71, complained he and his family were frightened by how hot the concrete house had become.
District chief Sutthiluck Rakcharoen, who led the team, said an initial inspection found heat emanating from under a newly built room in the one-storey, 20-year-old house.
The heat was detected near a concrete pillar in the new room, Siamrath Online reported.
Officials put a cup of water near the pole and were stunned to see the water boil in five minutes.
Mr Sawang then broke through the wall of the room for officials to investigate further. Suddenly, hot vapour poured from the wall.
Mr Sutthiluck said the mysterious heat was found five days ago and there were only three people staying in the house – Mr Sawang, his wife and their grandchild.
He said he could offer no explanation for the heat.
But he ordered all belongings, particularly inflammable objects, to be moved from the room to prevent a possible fire or explosion.
He also contacted the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office to alert the Lampang-based Mineral Resources Regional Office to try to find the cause of the phenomenon to prevent panic among locals.