Police chief orders wider probe into Chinese man found with weapons cache in Chonburi
Thailand’s national police chief has ordered investigators to expand the case against a Chinese man found with firearms, explosives and other military-grade items.
National police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet has ordered investigators to expand their probe into a Chinese man arrested after police found firearms, magazines, military-grade weapons, explosives and related materials in Chonburi.
The case began after Mingchen Sun, a 31-year-old Chinese national, crashed his car and it overturned in the area of Na Chom Thian Police Station, Sattahip district, Chonburi province on Friday. Police later found firearms and magazines inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of his rented house led to the discovery of military firearms, high-powered explosive materials, anti-personnel and hand grenades, explosive components and a large quantity of fuel.
Pol Gen Kitrat said he had instructed investigators from Provincial Police Region 2 to urgently expand the investigation, particularly into the suspect’s travel history, occupation, associates, the origin of the weapons, the purpose of possession, and financial routes. He said progress must be reported until the entire network can be prosecuted.
He added that the Immigration Bureau had also been ordered to screen foreign nationals entering, leaving or staying in Thailand for unusual patterns, such as frequent travel in and out of the country or unusually long stays. Relevant information will be sent to local police for checks, with intelligence operations and inspections of both foreign nationals and their residences to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
According to initial records, Mingchen Sun had rented the house for 38,000 baht per month and had lived there for about two years. His travel history showed that he first entered Thailand in 2020 on a tourist visa. He later travelled in and out of Thailand frequently, with his latest entry on January 27, 2026, using a re-entry permit, which allows holders of long-term visas — such as work, marriage or retirement visas — to return to Thailand without losing their existing visa status. His visa reportedly allowed him to stay in Thailand for up to five years.
Items seized from the vehicle included:
- One Glock 26 pistol
- Two Glock 26 magazines
- Ten rounds of 9mm ammunition
- One M16 magazine
- Twenty-eight rounds of 5.56mm ammunition
- One holster
Items found inside the house included:
- Two M16 rifles
- Nine M16 magazines
- Seven hundred and sixty-three rounds of 5.56mm ammunition
- One box of C4 explosive, weighing 2,486.4 grams
- Two sticks of C4 explosive, weighing 1,173 grams
- Total C4 weight: 4,832.4 grams
- Four Russian POMZ-2 anti-personnel explosive traps
- Four BA/WA hand grenades
- One Korean K75 hand grenade
- One Myanmar-made M6/01 hand grenade
- Seven electric detonators
- Three POMZ-2 fuse assemblies
- Two POMZ-2 safety pins
- Two remote-control transmitter and receiver sets
- Three bulletproof vests
- Two gas masks
- Six gas mask filters
- Four 20-litre containers of petrol
Police also found that Mingchen Sun held both Chinese and Cambodian passports, as well as an identification card for a person without Thai nationality. He was also listed as a resident in a house registration in Sam Wa Tawan Tok subdistrict, Khlong Sam Wa district, Bangkok, and had a 13-digit identification number. Records showed that his registered address had been moved from a house in Chiang Dao subdistrict, Chiang Dao district, Chiang Mai, on November 14, 2023. Police are still verifying the facts surrounding this matter.
As for reports that the Chinese suspect suffers from depression, police said a psychiatrist would be asked to take part in the examination to determine whether the claim is accurate. Authorities said they needed more time to continue the investigation and would provide further updates when available.
