Police raided a scrap dealer in Cha-am district of Phetchaburi province Monday night after a south-bound train was derailed between Cha-am and Hun Hin around noon, which was blamed on several missing railway pins and steel plates used to attach the rail tracks to sleepers.

The police found many pins and plates at the Rung Charoen junk shop in Tambon Cha-am of Cha-am district.  The shop-owner, whose identity was not disclosed, was held for questioning by the police for information which might lead to the arrest of the thieves.

The Thon Buri-Lang Suan train, which left Bangkok on Monday, was derailed at kilometer marker 204/9-10 between Ban Huay Tai and Hua Hin stations at about noon.  There were no injuries.

A complaint was quickly lodged with the police after the track was inspected. The police immediately sent out detectives to check all the scrap shops and junk yards in the province.

SRT acting governor Mr. Woravuth Mala thanked Pol Maj-Gen Thienchai Kamapaso, the Phetchaburi provincial police commander, for the quick action by the police in the recovery of the stolen items and, hopefully, for the quick arrest of the thieves.

A maintenance team with heavy machinery was sent by train from Bang Sue terminal to the site of the derailment, he said, adding that the tracks were fixed and train operations resumed as normal at about midnight last night.