Bangkok bungler! Ex-con caught robbing shop with a toy gun
Police last night apprehended a 29 year old man for armed robbery at a well-known convenience store in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district. The suspect, Surat, also known as M, had recently completed a sentence for theft and was unemployed before just starting a job as a security guard.
The arrest occurred at approximately 10pm yesterday, April 21. Police Major General Chotiwat Luangwilai, Police Major General Khomsit Rangsai, and several other officers, including Police Lieutenant Colonel Phatthapong Kuemano and Police Lieutenant Colonel Somsak Sawangphon, were involved in the operation.
Surat was charged with robbery using a weapon and was caught with an incriminating mobile phone, a knife, and the clothing worn during the crime.
The incident unfolded earlier that morning around 2.30am at a convenience store in the Thon Buri 3 community housing area, located at the end of Rama 2 Soi 62, Bang Khun Thian district. Vichayaporn, an employee, reported to Tha Kham police that an unidentified man had entered the store, attempting to top up his phone with 1,000 baht (US$30) without presenting cash.
When she refused to proceed, the man brandished a knife and demanded money. Discovering no cash on the premises, he seized a store-owned Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro phone before fleeing.
Surat later admitted to the crime, explaining his motive was to pay his overdue electric bill, as the power at his residence had been cut off. Tha Kham Police Station Superintendent, Police Colonel Vichayanan, confirmed Surat’s prior arrest in Samut Sakhon province in 2021 for theft.
After serving time until mid-2024, he lived with his mother without employment. On the day of the robbery, Surat had started his first day as a security guard, only to abandon his post and commit the crime. Surat confessed to all charges and will face legal proceedings, reported KhaoSod.
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