A fire ripped through a recycling plant destroying equipment in eastern Thailand.

The blaze erupted at the Banjong Recycle Factory sending thick smoke billowing near a village in Chonburi province today.

Firefighters arrived at the scene and found the one-rai site engulfed in flames at around 9 am local time.

Crews battled the inferno for more than an hour to keep it from spreading to nearby buildings. The fire was extinguished with no injuries or casualties reported.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Suphawat Latthapreecha of the Banglamung Police Station said: 'The damaged property included five pickup trucks, an electric motorcycle, a regular motorcycle, a forklift, an old fire extinguisher, a gasoline tank, and several wooden pallets, with the initial damage estimated at more than three million baht.'

Plant owner Banjong Chaboonmee, 65, cried after seeing his property ravaged by the fire.

His son Arthit Chaboonmee, 45, said a short circuit is believed to have caused sparks, which ignited a pile of dry clothes. The fire spread quickly as the facility was made mostly of wooden construction.

Police were unable to immediately conduct an inspection because of the intense heat, adding the exact cause of the fire will be investigated once the site is deemed safe to enter.

Fires in Thailand are commonly caused by aging electrical infrastructure, extensive use of wood in construction, and regional heatwaves that can exacerbate fire risks. Rapid fire response can also be hampered in densely packed neighbourhoods where narrow streets can delay firefighting efforts.