Police Arrest 22 Youths Armed With Knives, Bomb-Like Objects
Police arrested 22 youths in Nakhon Ratchasima after discovering them armed with knives and bomb-like objects in a public park, an operation following a fatal shooting between rival gangs in July.
On August 23, 2025, Deputy Superintendent Anon Pankratuek of Nakhon Ratchasima City Police, leading patrol unit 191, discovered 19 male youths aged 12–17 gathered in a playground in Nong Kaew Chang public park with suspicious behavior. When police arrived, some fled on motorcycles. Officers found long knives and objects wrapped in black tape resembling explosives mounted on motorcycle racks, apparently prepared for violence. Three youths claimed ownership of the weapons and motorcycles, stating they were for self-defense.
Police documented the 19 initial cases and seized 6 motorcycles, then notified parents to collect their children. At a checkpoint near the railway junction on Phibul Songkhram Road, officers arrested three additional youths aged 18 carrying weapons and referred them for prosecution.
This operation followed a fatal incident on July 25 when 17-year-old Bas, a vocational student and son of an army officer, was shot and killed by 19-year-old Jino, a rival, near a sewage treatment facility. The killing stemmed from social media threats and provocations. Police implemented preventive measures after multiple posts showing both sides vowing revenge.
