Some politicians will be summoned for questioning relating to the fire that burnt down a school in Nakhon Ratchasima late on Saturday night, police said yesterday.

"We are confident that this is an arson attack," said Provincial Police Region 3 commissioner Lt-General Sathaporn Laothong.

"The investigation is ongoing," he said, while refusing to comment on whether the attack was politically motivated.

He announced a reward of Bt100,000 for information leading to the culprits behind the school fire, the fourth in Nakhon Ratchasima since the September 19 coup that ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The incident at Ban Sakadnak Wittaya School in Nakhon Ratchasima is the sixth school blaze in the Northeast in two months besides several other school fires in the North in the past three months. Police have so far arrested one suspect in connection with the September 27 arson attacks on five schools in Kamphaeng Phet province.

The latest fire broke out shortly after 10pm on Saturday at the school in Soeng Sang district. The blaze quickly engulfed and destroyed the school despite attempts by locals to put it out. The damage is estimated at more than Bt1 million.

School director Wichai Chaisena said the janitor, Somchai Padsako, was assigned to keep watch over the school at the time the fire took place.

Witnesses said Somchai went out for a meal, during which time a pickup entered the school's compound and left hurriedly half an hour later. The fire broke out just afterwards.

"Our school doesn't have conflicts with anyone. We and the community get along well," Wichai said.

He said the local district office would provide tents to be used as temporary classrooms today for the school's 103 students from kindergarten to primary level.

Soeng Sang district, which previously elected an MP from Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT), is close to Buri Ram province, the stronghold of former TRT minister Newin Chidchob.

Army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin yesterday tried to play down speculation that two recent fires at schools in Nan and Tak were signs of political undercurrents, a term used by the Council for National Security (CNS) to describe pro-Thaksin movements.

"I don't think things could go that far," said Sonthi, who also chairs the CNS.

In a related development, Their Majesties the King and the Queen have graciously granted construction materials via the border patrol police to rebuild a school and a nearby house in Tak's Mae Sot district that were burnt down in a fire on Saturday.

Police are gathering evidence from the scene to determine the cause of the fire.

In Yasothon, Governor Veeravit Vivatvanich said he had already ordered the transfer of Soke Pakwan School director Suriyan Sriwarom pending investigation of a fire at the school last Wednesday night.

Investigators have so far called 47 witnesses, including kamnans, teachers, and village heads for questioning.

"Former MPs and senators could be asked to cooperate in the investigations too," Veeravit said.

He said if the fire was deliberate, a Bt100,000 reward would be offered for information leading to the arsonists.

Veeravit said he had approved funds to replace electric wiring in 64 schools in the province within two weeks in a bid to prevent fires due to short-circuits.