At least five suspects broke into and bombed a solar power plant in Pattani late at night, causing damage estimated at 13 million baht. Authorities suspect the involvement of local insurgent groups or possibly parties with vested interests in the area.
On 15 June 2026 at approximately 03:10, Police Colonel Lukman Bako, Chief of Yaring Police Station in Pattani Province, received a report from solar power plant staff that an unknown number of suspects had infiltrated the rear construction site of the power plant. They allegedly planted explosives and set fire near the solar panel storage area within the solar farm construction site at Village No. 4, Tha Phong Village, Tolo Kapor Subdistrict, Yaring District, Pattani. Upon notification, police, military, and relevant agencies inspected the site, coordinated firefighting efforts, and secured the area to prevent unauthorized access due to concerns about remaining explosive devices.
Later that morning, the fire was still burning near the solar panel storage area. Firefighters intensified water spraying to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading. Bomb disposal units then inspected and cleared the area. They discovered a suspicious object at the solar panel storage site, believed to be an improvised explosive device planted by the suspects. Authorities secured the area to detonate the device and conducted scans to check for additional explosives.
Initial investigations revealed that while security personnel were on duty at the power plant, at least five suspects with concealed faces and armed illegally entered the rear of the construction site. They split into several groups: one group threw a loud explosive device to cause panic, while another doused stored solar panels with gasoline and set them on fire, causing a severe blaze. The suspects then fled the scene by the same route.
Following the incident, forensic officers conducted a detailed collection of evidence at the scene, focusing especially on fingerprints found on a gasoline bottle left behind and bomb fragments. This was to gather information and expedite the identification and prosecution of the perpetrators under the law.
Preliminary assessments found extensive damage to the solar panels, with losses estimated at about 13 million baht. However, there were no reported injuries or fatalities from the incident.
Meanwhile, authorities deployed drones to survey the incident site and surrounding areas, established security perimeters for safety, and set up checkpoints, roadblocks, and mobile inspection points along key routes to prevent the suspects' escape.
Security agencies initially believe the attack was carried out by local insurgent groups, as there had been a recent bombing of three explosive devices at a biomass power plant in Village No. 1, Maprao Ton Diao, Lipa Sago Subdistrict, Nong Chik District, Pattani on 9 June. Another possible motive may involve groups opposing the construction and operation of power plants in Pattani Province. Authorities continue to investigate and explore other related leads.