Takhian Tia, Chonburi
A ferocious thunderstorm unleashed a direct lightning bolt on the rooftop toilet of popular eatery Krua Tee Lek Khao Pa in Takhian Tia Tuesday afternoon, shattering tiles, snapping a coconut tree in half, and knocking out power – but miraculously injuring no one.
The strike hit at approximately 2:00 p.m. during a torrential downpour that rattled the district. Witnesses described a blinding flash “like tree roots in the sky” followed by a deafening crack that shook homes nearby.
Reporters on the scene found the bolt had first struck a tall coconut palm behind the restaurant at 40/24 Ban Noen Krabok on Moo 4. The surge then traveled down the trunk and blasted the adjacent restroom roof, scattering ceramic tiles like shrapnel. Electrical outlets inside the main dining area were ripped from walls, appliances fried, and the external meter box destroyed, plunging the premises into darkness.
Restaurant owner Hattachai Kaewsuwan, 35, known locally as “Tee Lek,” described the terror to The Pattaya News:
“I was inside when the sky roared. Then – *BANG!* – a white flash behind the kitchen. I ran out and saw the coconut tree split open and the toilet roof in pieces. Thank goodness no customer was using the restroom at that exact moment.”
A male customer, who asked to remain anonymous, had just pulled up with friends to wait out the rain in his parked car less than five meters from the strike zone.
“I heard the thunder, then an explosion so loud my ears rang,” he said. “The air pressure hit like a wall. I ducked instantly. I truly believe I was protected by the sacred power of Luang Pho Kuay amulets from Wat Kositaram and a Luang Pho Kasem Khemako coin from Susaan Trailak in Lampang that I always carry. It was a miracle I wasn’t hurt.”
Crews from the Provincial Electricity Authority arrived shortly after to restore power. The restaurant reopened for dinner service after emergency repairs.
Local meteorologists confirmed the storm cell produced multiple cloud-to-ground strikes across Takhian Tia and surrounding sub-districts, with this incident marking the most dramatic structural hit.
Report by Weera Jongpaisal
