Drone Tracks Down Man Who Set Forest Fire; Followed Him Home. Suspect Confesses to Burning Forest for Honey
Park officials deployed a drone that tracked a man from a forest fire site in Chiang Mai's Ob Luang National Park back to his home; the suspect confessed to intentionally burning the forest to harvest honey.
On May 6, 2025, Ob Luang National Park in Chiang Mai reported discovering a hotspot in the Doi Sano Luang area near Ban Tha Mai Lung. Park officials and the Ob Luang Forest Fire Control Station were dispatched to extinguish the fire.
Around 11:00 AM, officials spotted new smoke in the area and deployed a drone to conduct aerial surveillance. The drone identified a suspicious man walking down from the fire site before riding a motorcycle away. The drone tracked him all the way to his residence.
Firefighters were then called to control the blaze and investigate the area. Evidence of illegal forest burning for honey harvesting was discovered, prompting officials to contact Hang Dong Police Station to proceed with legal action.
The suspect was identified as "Mr. Jet," a Tai Yai man employed as a garden caretaker. He initially confessed to intentionally setting the forest fire to obtain honey. Authorities have detained him and referred the case to investigators for further legal proceedings, while emphasizing continued surveillance and strict forest fire prevention measures in the area.
