A Thai woman was fined 10,000 baht after driving an off-road vehicle into a protected World War II bomb crater at a national park in Kanchanaburi province.
The incident came to light after the woman shared photographs of her Toyota Land Cruiser FJ on Facebook. The vehicle was shown stuck in mud at a location later identified as a historic bomb crater preserved as part of a World War II site.
The crater is located near Nithe Train Station, a section of the historic Death Railway built by prisoners of war during World War II. The area is typically submerged beneath the Vajiralongkorn Dam and becomes visible only during the dry season, usually between April and May.
As part of a protected historical site, the national park has installed warning signs prohibiting visitors from driving or walking on the former railway track and surrounding areas, including the bomb crater.
Images shared online showed deep tyre marks left in the crater after the vehicle entered the site.
A video later posted on the woman’s Facebook account also showed the vehicle being driven at speed along the route. The footage drew further criticism because the track serves as a transport route for residents in the area.
After the photographs and video circulated widely on social media, the national park issued a public statement confirming that the activity violated park regulations and called on the driver to report to officials.
The woman, identified as Kittiya Menaruji, subsequently deleted the images and videos before posting a public apology. She said she was unaware of the site’s historical significance and had no intention of damaging the crater.
Kittiya explained that she and other members of an off-road vehicle group had travelled to the area as part of a volunteer project. According to Kittiya, the group had been helping construct roofs for students and teachers at a school in the Koh Sadoeng community.
Kittiya apologised to residents affected by the incident and accepted criticism from members of the public. She also pledged to learn more about locations she visits in the future.
In a later social media update, Kittiya confirmed that she had met with national park officials and paid a 10,000 baht fine.
National park authorities said they would work to restore the damaged area and install additional warning signs to better inform visitors and prevent similar incidents in the future.
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