Bangkok aircon technician steals Rolex, pawns it for 80,000 baht

An air conditioning technician turned thief stole a customer’s Rolex valued at 250,000 baht and pawned it the following day for a fraction of its value at 80,000 baht.

Bang Khen police, led by Anan Worasaart, ordered the arrest of 35 year old Bancha, and 23 year old Kawalin after they were found with a Rolex Oyster Perpetua worth approximately 250,000 baht.

On August 8, police received a report of theft from a company on Soi Ram Inthra 19, Bang Khen district, Bangkok. The victim had hired technicians to clean and repair the air conditioning units in their office. The victim placed their Rolex on a desk in the office before leaving the premises.

Upon returning, both the technician and the watch were missing. CCTV footage showed no one entering or leaving the room during the incident except for the four hired technicians.

Police tracked down Bancha and Kawalin, who were suspected of the theft. A subsequent phone search revealed a photo of a pawn receipt for the stolen Rolex under Kawalin’s name, dated August 8.

During questioning, Bancha admitted that between 11am and 12.30pm on August 8, he and his girlfriend Kawalin were cleaning the air conditioning units at the location. Bancha noticed the Rolex on the desk and decided to take it.

After finishing their work, they pawned the watch at a pawnshop in the Ram Inthra area, using Kawalin’s name, receiving 80,000 baht. Bancha used 5,000 baht to pay off debt and kept the remaining money at his home in the Bang Na area.

Bancha and Kawalin were subsequently charged with joint theft and were transferred to Bang Khen police station for further legal proceedings, reported KhaoSod.

In related news, a daring thief was caught on security cameras sneaking into an apartment building in Pattaya’s Soi Buakhao and breaking into unlocked rooms to steal valuables. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of July 20, was documented on security footage later released by the apartment owner to alert the public.