The entire community was alarmed when a 52-year-old man saw a pickup truck dumping items. He went to inspect and found amulets and coins, hoping to find gold. Instead, he discovered an improvised explosive device with a 50-meter blast radius. He fled and called the police.
At 10:30 a.m. on 30 May 2026, officers from Mueang Chonburi Police Station received a report that locals had found an improvised explosive device beside a trash bin in the Samphan Namchai community, Village 6, Ban Suan Subdistrict, Mueang District, Chonburi Province. Upon arrival, the police found the area was a community garbage dumping site. They discovered one modified improvised explosive device. The police cordoned off the area, covered the bomb with a car tire, and warned the public to stay away.
Mr. Somchai Suksuk, 52, said he saw the pickup truck park beside the trash bin and dump several items. When he looked inside, he saw amulets and coins and thought the bags and cloth wrappings might contain valuables such as gold. As he searched, he found a black object, which he took to ask his brother about. His brother recognized the shape and told him it was a bomb. He quickly returned it to the spot and called the police for inspection. He never expected to find a bomb while searching for gold and was lucky it did not detonate while he held it.
Second Lieutenant Thani Ounsri of Mueang Chonburi Police Station said they initially took photos and sent them to the bomb disposal unit (EOD). The EOD confirmed it was a flash bomb designed to impair vision, causing eye problems resembling dizziness. However, this device had been modified into an improvised explosive device.
The bomb disposal team noted that the device appeared made by someone with expertise in bomb-making. If detonated, it could have a destructive radius of about 50 meters, potentially causing death and injury. Authorities cordoned off the area to prevent residents from approaching.
Later, the EOD team removed and safely destroyed the bomb. They explained that besides emitting a blinding light that can cause blindness, the device also produces a loud noise that could cause immediate deafness.