Squatters burn own shack after lottery loss

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A garbage collector squatting on land in Nongprue burned down his own shack after losing all his money on the lottery.

Firefighters were called Nov. 16 to land behind a stadium on Soi Kophai 14 in Nongprue where two ramshackle tin-and-wood huts were burning. The houses were set among trees about 20 meters from the road so as not to be seen by the property owner.

Firemen quelled the flames in about five minutes and, due to the dilapidated state of the pre-fire property, the total loss was only about 1,000 baht.

The occupants reportedly were garbage collectors who spent most their money on lottery tickets and lost. They then spent the rest of their money on booze, got drunk and burned down their shack before fleeing the area.