Severe trouble "Lieutenant Nat" Lieutenant Chitpong Khattapong faces four charges after dressing in a military-style uniform and entering the scene of a brewery fire in Ladprao.
At 21:00 on 15 July 2026, Lieutenant Chitpong Khattapong, also known as Lieutenant Nat, appeared before Police Colonel Sarawut Butdee, investigative commander at the Metropolitan Crime Suppression Division, to acknowledge charges related to dressing like a soldier at the brewery fire scene in Ladprao, Jom Phon Subdistrict, Chatuchak District, Bangkok on 12 July, and giving interviews to the media that misled the public.
Afterwards, Lieutenant Chitpong, wearing a dark gray suit and white shirt, arrived at a warehouse in the Samut Prakan area to meet officials. He did not speak to the media before meeting the police.
Police Colonel Sarawut, the lead investigator, said that Lieutenant Nat contacted the police to surrender after seeing news reports featuring him. Preliminary questioning will involve four main charges:
1. Unauthorized use of radio communication
2. Impersonating an officer without authority
3. Spreading false information (rumors) causing public alarm, due to some inaccurate statements he made in interviews
4. Offenses related to possession of military equipment; if the body armor he wore at the scene is confirmed as genuine, further charges will be added.
At this stage, Lieutenant Nat is officially a suspect and has so far refused to give any statements. Investigators are conducting detailed questioning.
However, since the suspect voluntarily appeared and cooperated with police, after charges were filed and questioning completed, he was released on bail without needing to post a bond.