20-tonne water tank missing

Chachoengsao - Enterprising thieves have stolen a 10-metre high steel water tank weighing about 20 tonnes, which has left more than 300 families in Tung Yai Shi village in Tha Takiab district without water.

The tank, with capacity of 5,000 litres, was pulled out from its concrete base on Monday by a group of six or seven men who used a crane to lift the tank onto a six-wheel truck, according to eyewitness Chalermchai Sathuchart, 30.
He thought the men were workers from the Tha Takiab tambon administration organisation (TAO), which owns the tank. But TAO chief Lim Sathuchart said he did not order the tank's removal.

Mr Chalermchai alerted police, who captured the suspects in Sanam Chai Khet district. The suspects will be summoned for questioning today.Truck driver Teep Khamjorn, 57, said he was asked by his company, Wattanapaisan Engineering, which manufactured the tank, to remove the tank and take it back to the company.

Somchai Kittisophon, 34, who claimed to be the company's human resource chief, contacted the TAO to apologise.
He promised to return the tank and asked the TAO not to press charges. He claimed the company took the tank back because it had not received full payment for it.But TAO deputy chief Banharn Samran was unconvinced. He said the tank had been in use for 18 months and a 300,000-baht payment had been paid to the contractor, Sang Tawan Ganchang. He had never heard of any payment problem, said Mr Banharn.

Another TAO deputy chief Boonmi Bua-rum, said water tanks have been stolen from many other villages nearby. The gang tells villagers they are taking it for repairs and then disappear