Phuket-
Phuket police quickly apprehended a couple involved in the theft of a gold bracelet worth over 100,000 baht from a local jewelry shop. The pair, facing mounting financial hardships, claimed their desperation drove them to commit the crime.
The incident took place on the evening of March 31, 2068, at a gold shop near a well-known shopping mall in Wichit, Phuket. A man disguised as a woman entered the shop, wearing a headscarf and long sleeves to conceal his identity. He requested to see several gold bracelets weighing two baht each. As the shop employee carefully presented each item, his accomplice—a young woman dressed in a yellow jacket—entered the shop, pretending to browse. She positioned herself near the automatic door, ready to act.
When the timing seemed right, the woman called out “Thank you!” to the shop staff, signaling her partner to snatch one of the gold bracelets and flee. The man ran out of the shop and sped away on a motorcycle parked nearby, leaving the shop employees shocked. His accomplice lingered briefly, feigning alarm before calmly leaving the premises and blending into the crowd of the nearby mall.
The shop employees promptly alerted the police. Within hours, officers from Wichit Police Station, led by Pol. Col. Somsak Thongkliang, reviewed CCTV footage and pieced together the suspects’ escape route. The woman was soon located and arrested, admitting her role as the person behind the theft. She also convinced her partner to surrender to the authorities.
The man was later apprehended in Kathu District, along with the stolen gold bracelet and the motorcycle used in the getaway. During questioning, both suspects confessed to the crime. They revealed that they had been running a pizza stall at local markets but had struggled to make ends meet in recent months. With increasing expenses and the pressing need to provide for their child’s education, they resorted to theft as a last-ditch effort to secure funds.
The couple now faces charges of robbery using a vehicle, a serious offense under Thai law. Despite their claims of financial distress, Phuket authorities said that such actions cannot be justified and have consequences.
