British teen terrified as former friend throws firecracker into family home
A British teenager was terrified when his former friend hurled a firecracker into his family home in Thailand.
The boy, 16, was about to have dinner with his Thai mother Yothaka, 42, when he heard a deafening blast in his yard in Chonburi.
Alarmed by the explosion, the rattled youngster reportedly burst into the dining room, shaking as he shouted for help.
The family then reviewed CCTV footage on Thursday evening, August 13, which showed the boy's former friend standing outside the property moments before the blast.
He was seen signalling to someone out of the frame before lighting the firecracker and throwing it at the house. He then bolted down the street, and a motorcycle was heard roaring as he fled.
Yothaka has submitted the video while filing a complaint with the police.
Police Colonel Warawut Nittayawan, superintendent of Huay Yai district station, said that officers inspected the scene.
He added: ‘Investigators were instructed to track down the perpetrator and bring him to justice.'
The British teen claimed the suspect was an ex-friend, who often taunted, bullied, and insulted him online.
The youngster said: 'I noticed someone standing in front of my house, but I didn't know who it was until I suddenly heard a loud explosion.
'I later realised it was an old friend from school who had often harassed and bullied me. He would leave taunting comments, provoke me and even shout insults outside my house, even though I never engaged with him. Today, it went too far when he threw an explosive device at my house.'
Thailand continues to grapple with widespread bullying among youths.
A 2025 survey conducted by Thailand's Department of Health Service Support found that 65.54 per cent of respondents aged seven to 25 had been bullied, mostly at school by friends and peers.
