Protests19 October, 20252 min read
Indian Man Threatens Bangkok Crowd with Gun-Shaped Lighter and Abuses Bystanders
Sahil Ram Thadani, 41, threatened people and police with a pistol-shaped lighter in Siam Square. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. in front of the Novotel Bangkok hotel, causing public panic.
15 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on France Suspends Police Stun Grenades at High School Protests After 15-Year-Old Loses Hand →
Bangkok Public Disturbance Incident
Around Monday afternoon in Bangkok’s crowded Siam Square, 41-year-old Indian national Sahil Ram Thadani caused panic by waving what looked like a handgun. The object was later confirmed to be a pistol-shaped cigarette lighter. He was shouting at pedestrians near the Novotel area.
“An Indian man named Sahil Ram Thadani, 41, was arrested in Bangkok’s Siam Square after threatening the public with what appeared to be a handgun, which was later confirmed by police to be a pistol-shaped cigarette lighter.”
Police and security quickly intervened, surrounded, restrained, and arrested him after he ignored instructions to stop. Multiple outlets place the incident near Novotel Bangkok in the Pathum Wan district.
Video showed erratic behavior as he pointed the lighter at bystanders. Authorities confirmed it was not a real firearm but charged him over threats and public disturbance that alarmed the crowd.
Public Disturbance Incident
Witness videos show Thadani dancing on the road, shouting abuses, and pointing the gun-shaped lighter at pedestrians. He refused to comply with security and police, acted aggressively, and threatened officers before being subdued.
Some outlets stress that no injuries occurred. All agree he was detained after causing a public scare with the realistic-looking lighter near Novotel Bangkok.
Details of Police Investigation
Police charged Thadani with threatening behavior and causing a public disturbance and took him to Pathum Wan Police Station as investigations proceed. Multiple outlets note he previously served as a director of three now-defunct companies in India, and Thai authorities are checking his length of stay and background.
“Thadani was charged with threatening behavior and causing a public disturbance and taken to Pathum Wan Police Station.”
Some Asian outlets report police suspicions of cannabis-induced hallucinations, while another source cites witnesses saying he appeared drunk. Several reports do not mention any intoxication angle at all.
Incident Involving Lighter Mistaken for Gun
Multiple outlets report that the incident was filmed and the video circulated widely. The footage shows Thadani dancing, shouting, and pointing a lighter like a gun. This behavior caused people to flee as panic spread among bystanders.
Police and security forces intervened promptly to control the situation. Despite resistance and threats from Thadani, he was restrained and detained.
Reports consistently emphasize that the object was a lighter, not a firearm. Although the lighter resembled a gun, it terrified those present.
Media Coverage of Arrest Incident
Coverage varied across outlets and source types. Times of India (Asian) carried only a brief world-desk roundup that merely notes an arrest in Bangkok involving an Indian man. Most outlets offered detailed, incident-focused reports.
“In a separate incident in Pattaya, a 34-year-old Indian man was arrested for allegedly stealing 7,000 baht (about ₹16,100) from a 27-year-old transgender woman named Nong Ploy.”
Mint (Asian) uniquely appended an unrelated Pattaya theft case in the same article. Moneycontrol (Asian) alone specifies he was taken to Pathum Wan Police Station, a procedural detail most others omit. NDTV (Asian) and Indiablooms (Other) focused on the time, district, and the lighter’s confirmation without such station-level specifics.
