A fire broke out on Saturday night at an old half-concrete half-wooden house previously owned by Gen Chatichai Choonhavan, and now occupied by Tisana Choonhavan, a Move Forward Party (MFP) MP for Bangkok.
It took less than half an hour to put out the fire which damaged about half of the house, and no one was injured or killed, said Pol Capt Chirasak Bunyuennan, deputy chief investigator at Phaya Thai police station.
The fire, which erupted in the innermost house, was believed to have been caused by a short circuit, said Pol Capt Chirasak, adding the burnt house was one of the many houses situated on an 8-rai plot of land on Soi Ratchakhru off Phahon Yothin Road in Phaya Thai district.
The house had been passed on from Chatichai to Kraisak Choonhavan, his son and a former deputy leader of the Democrat Party, said Pol Capt Chirasak.
Ms Tisana and her younger sister were not in the house when the fire broke out about 9.30pm.
The MFP MP said she was working in a nearby house when someone told her he could smell smoke and spotted it billowing out of the second floor of her house.
Shortly afterwards, a loud explosion was heard and then the flames raged very quickly, she said.
Fortunately, there is a pond by the burning house, which served as source of water to douse the flames while waiting for a fire truck to arrive, she said.
The electrical wiring in the burnt house was from five to six decades ago, she said.
The MP started a live broadcast on social media during the fire and firefighting operation.
Former foreign minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara and former digital economy and society minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta, both relatives of Ms Tisana, were spotted paying a visit during the broacast.
Also seen visiting her at the scene during the broadcast was MFP list-MP Rangsiman Rome.
The police were still investigating the incident despite having surmised at this state that it was the result of a short circuit.
