Pattaya, Thailand – October 30th, 2025– In a daring act of theft, suspects excavated soil inside a U-turn tunnel on Highway 331 to cut and steal large copper electrical cables, plunging a stretch of the major roadway into darkness.
The incident came to light at approximately 10:00 a.m. when motorists reported spotting suspicious individuals engaged in cable theft near the Bangchak gas station U-turn tunnel on Highway 331.
Authorities swiftly coordinated a response, dispatching officers from Huay Yai Police Station alongside Mr. Sirikorn Kanthaphrom, a senior civil engineering technician and head of the Khao Maikaew Highway Maintenance Division, to inspect the scene.
At the site, investigators discovered evidence of deliberate digging to access and sever a substantial copper cable approximately 2 meters in length. Near the base of a streetlight pole, an iron cover had been pried open, revealing three additional copper cables—each about 1 foot long— that had been cut and removed.
Mr. Sirikorn Kanthaphrom stated that the theft caused streetlights along both sides of Highway 331 to go dark over a distance of roughly 1 kilometer per side from the affected point.
Police and highway officials are urging the public to remain vigilant. Anyone witnessing suspicious activity resembling cable theft in the area is asked to immediately contact emergency police hotline 191, Mr. Sirikorn Kanthaphrom at 083-913-9834, or the Department of Highways hotline at 1586 (toll-free, 24 hours).
