A quiet rural road stretching from Ban Nong Yang to the Mab Kha Wan junction in Moo 3, Tambon Khao Mai Kaew, was plunged into complete darkness overnight after a thief broke into a municipal streetlight control cabinet and stole copper wiring, leaving an entire stretch of public lighting inoperable.
The incident was discovered Thursday morning when Mr. Weeraphan Kha Charoen, an officer from Khao Mai Kaew Subdistrict Municipality, noticed the control box near the roadside was unusually ajar and leaning while conducting a routine patrol. Upon closer inspection with colleagues, he found that copper cables both inside and outside the cabinet – including those connecting to the main transformer – had been deliberately cut and removed.
“The whole line of streetlights from Ban Nong Yang in Moo 3 all the way to the Mab Kha Wan junction went completely dark,” Mr. Weeraphan said. “This is a route villagers use every day. At night it becomes pitch-black and deserted, so people are now genuinely worried about safety.”
Local resident Mr. James, who lives near the vandalized cabinet, told reporters he was sitting outside chatting with a friend around 22:30 when the lights suddenly went out along the entire stretch.
“One minute everything was lit normally, the next it was total darkness,” he said. “It must have happened right at that moment.”
Police from Khao Mai Kaew police booth and investigators from Huay Yai Police Station arrived at the scene shortly afterward, accompanied by Mr. Bancha Udong, former deputy chairman of Khao Mai Kaew Subdistrict Administrative Organization, who joined the inspection and held discussions with officers on preventive measures and strategies to apprehend the culprit.
Investigators have already reviewed municipal CCTV footage and confirmed they obtained “certain useful information” that could help identify the suspect. However, police declined to release details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Authorities say they are now compiling evidence and expect to track down and prosecute the perpetrator as quickly as possible.
The theft of copper wiring from public infrastructure has become an increasingly common crime in rural areas, driven by high scrap-metal prices, often leaving communities without lighting for days or weeks while repairs are carried out.
