Bangkok: A young man who brazenly stole gold worth 5 baht from a renowned shopping mall in the Ramintra area has been apprehended within 11 hours of the crime. The thief, identified as 25-year-old Sutthichai, admitted to committing the robbery to settle his football gambling debts.
According to Thai News Agency, Sutthichai's actions were captured on CCTV, showing him conversing with a gold shop employee while pretending to be a customer interested in purchasing a 1-baht gold necklace. He requested to see five different designs but claimed dissatisfaction with each. Sutthichai then asked to see a 2-salung gold ring. Seizing an opportunity when the employee was momentarily distracted, he snatched all the showcased gold and made a swift escape towards the mall's front door. The proximity of the shop to a back exit and its closeness to Bang Khen Police Station facilitated his quick getaway.
The theft occurred at 6:45 PM and lasted under two minutes. The police, after being alerted, meticulously reviewed CCTV footage, discovering that Sutthichai had parked a pink Yamaha Fino motorcycle nearby. Post-robbery, he fled on the motorcycle towards Ramintra Road. Despite police efforts to intercept him via radio, he initially evaded capture.
By 5:30 AM, a joint team from the Metropolitan Police Investigation Bureau 2 and Bang Khen police received a tip-off about Sutthichai's whereabouts near a Buddhist monastery's entrance in Soi Mit Maitri, Khlong Sam Wa district. Upon his capture, Sutthichai was found with four gold necklaces weighing 4 baht and a gold ring weighing 2 salung, leaving him unable to contest the arrest due to the overwhelming evidence.
Sutthichai confessed during his arrest that he pawned one necklace for 63,000 baht at a gold shop in Lam Luk Ka, Khlong 2, Pathum Thani Province, before abandoning his getaway motorcycle and using a ride-hailing app to return home. Despite his attempt to lay low, police apprehended him in just under 11 hours. He stated that the pawned money was used to clear his football gambling debts.
Further investigation revealed Sutthichai's criminal history. In 2023, he had committed a similar theft, snatching a gold necklace from a shop in Chokchai 4. He was subsequently arrested and served over two years in prison, only to be released in March of the previous year. Post-incarceration, he worked as a delivery rider, but the job provided insufficient income, prompting him to commit the robbery again. Additionally, he claimed financial pressure from gambling debts as a motive for the crime.