Ant Colony Causes Fire at Home of National Folk Artist and Former MP

At 4:00 AM on February 11, 2024, police in Chaiyaphum city were alerted to a house fire in Chee Long sub-district. Firefighters from local organizations arrived with three fire trucks to respond. The single-story wooden house with a zinc roof caught fire intensely, with flames and smoke shooting into the sky. Firefighting teams took approximately 40 minutes to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading to neighboring houses. The house belongs to Soschok Su Non Tad, a 67-year-old retired teacher, national folk artist, and former MP for Chaiyaphum's District 2. The fire originated in his music work and teaching room, which housed numerous traditional musical instruments including pin (guitar), kaen (reed instrument), pong lang (percussion), drum set, bass, and tom drums. Initial investigations suggest the fire was caused by an ant colony that created a nest inside an electrical outlet. Despite previous cleaning attempts, the hot weather apparently enabled ants to build a dense nest, leading to an electrical short circuit. Soschok was not in the room at the time, with his wife and son in a nearby house. His son discovered the fire when he woke up around 4:00 AM and immediately called emergency services. Total damages are estimated at over 400,000 baht, including the building and more than 10 musical instruments. Police are coordinating with forensic experts to confirm the exact cause and officially assess the damage.