Chonburi, Thailand – A powerful storm caused a decades-old banyan tree to crash onto a noodle shop, trapping a family of three inside their home in Laem Chabang, Chonburi province, on October 10th, 2025. Miraculously, all escaped unharmed, thanks to a large refrigerator that propped up the fallen tree, preventing a worse disaster.
CCTV footage from a neighboring property captured the moment strong winds and rain uprooted the massive banyan tree, which then collapsed onto the “Long Lin” noodle shop, a single-story structure with a front awning, located in Moo 7. The incident occurred around 1:00 PM, leaving the shop in ruins and two people—a father and his five-year-old daughter—trapped inside.
Laem Chabang Municipal Disaster Prevention and Relief Center received an emergency call and dispatched a team, accompanied by municipal council members, to the scene. The trapped individuals were identified as Kantaphon Phakham, 42, and his young daughter. The shop’s owner, Oranarin Chotcharoenrueangkul, also 42, managed to escape the wreckage unharmed.
Rescue workers used chainsaws to cut through the tree’s branches before crawling into the debris to safely extract Kantaphon and his daughter. No injuries were reported.
Oranarin explained the terrifying ordeal to The Pattaya News, saying she was in the kitchen preparing food when fierce winds hit. She sent her daughter to stay with her father, who was resting inside due to illness. Moments later, a loud crash shook the house as the tree fell. Initially unaware of the tree’s collapse, Oranarin thought the storm had destroyed the shop’s structure. She struggled to reach her family but was hindered by rising floodwaters and debris. “I wasn’t scared at first because I was only worried about my daughter,” she said. The refrigerator, which bore the weight of the tree, likely saved the family from a fatal outcome.
Kantaphon, who was inside with his daughter, described hearing a loud crash as branches pierced the roof and water flooded the house. Fearing further collapse, he held his daughter tightly and took shelter in a corner he believed to be the sturdiest. “My daughter was crying, terrified,” he said. “I didn’t realize how severe it was until I saw the tree covering the house.” He noted that the banyan tree, estimated to be decades old, had stood on the property long before they moved in.
Authorities from Laem Chabang Municipality’s Disaster Prevention and Relief team assessed the damage and arranged for the electricity to be cut off to ensure safety. They plan to trim the remaining branches immediately to allow the family to return home as soon as possible. Additional relief efforts will also be provided to support the family’s recovery.
