Police Inspect Car With Seven Fuel Cans at IMF Meeting
Police inspected a Malaysian couple’s car near Sukhumvit Road after finding seven fuel cans in the trunk during heightened security for the IMF–World Bank meetings in Bangkok. The couple said the fuel was for emergency use on their tourism trip and they were fined for illegal parking. No explosives or illegal items were discovered, and the tourists were released after questioning.
On October 14, 2026, reporters said that the previous day police inspected a suspect vehicle belonging to Malaysian tourists parked on the sidewalk along Sukhumvit Road 17. The check was prompted by a security alert because Thailand was hosting the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings 2026 from October 12 to 18. A Bangkok Metropolitan Administration representative spotted the car during a patrol and requested further inspection due to concerns it might contain hazardous materials. Police coordinated with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, which searched the vehicle and found nothing illegal initially.
The Malaysian couple, who were in Thailand for tourism and their honeymoon, told officers they had entered the country on October 11 and planned to depart on October 17, using their private car to travel to several provinces. They said they parked the car there because they wanted to visit a nearby shopping mall and had been advised by a taxi driver that parking was allowed. Nevertheless, they were later fined 2,000 baht for parking in a no‑parking zone.
Regarding the seven fuel cans found in the trunk, the couple explained they were not familiar with the route and had brought extra fuel from Malaysia for emergencies, anticipating the long drive from Malaysia to Thailand. They said the cans held a total of 40 litres of fuel purchased at a Malaysian petrol station. When asked whether they knew Thailand was hosting the IMF–World Bank meeting, they said they were unaware and were only traveling for tourism.
Lumpini Police Station recorded the couple’s details and completed a background check. Police Chief Lieutenant General Siam Boonsom of the Metropolitan Police Bureau stated the pair were newlyweds staying at a hotel in the area and had brought the fuel to supplement their journey because petrol is cheaper in Malaysia than in Thailand. After checking with security agencies and finding no links to violent groups, and after a thorough search of the vehicle revealed no equipment that could be used to assemble explosives, the police released the foreign nationals and ordered continued monitoring of the situation.
