Homeless man makes himself comfy in Bangkok cop’s condo

The Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (IDMB) arrested a homeless Thai man for breaking into an IDMB police inspector’s Bangkok condominium room several times.

The IDMB police inspector suspected his condo had been broken into on June 27 when he arrived home and found some items out of place. He checked thoroughly and discovered some of his belongings were missing but many of his valuables remained untouched.

The police inspector reviewed the condo’s security camera footage and identified the intruder as 25 year old Manassawin “James” Thongkham, also known as James Bangbon. He filed a complaint at Petchkasem Police Station.

The police victim questioned how James entered his room despite the condominium‘s strict security measures. Further investigation revealed that James stalked the cop for approximately ten days and entered his room eight times in total.

James bypassed security measures by stalking the officer and discovering a spare key hidden in the lobby’s mailbox. When the police officer was at work, James would retrieve the key and enter the room.

After over a month of investigation, Petchkasem Police Station officers arrested James on Saturday, August 3, on a roadside forest bordering Chachoengsao and Samut Prakan provinces.

Police reported that James, realising he had been caught, fled the area. Homeless, he slept at bus stops and petrol stations. Officers managed to track down James and arrested him.

James confessed to entering the police officer’s room but denied any intention to steal. He revealed he did not finish school and was unemployed, leading his family to chase him away.

James admitted to sitting outside the condominium often enough to observe the police victim’s daily activities. He insisted he entered the officer’s room to rest and had no ill intentions. He fled the area upon realising the officer knew about the break-ins and noticing police officers tailing him.

Further questioning will be conducted to ascertain his true motives.

James had been previously arrested for drug possession and theft at a temple and a shopping mall in Bangkok. In this case, he was charged under Section 334 of the Criminal Law: stealing property of another person, which carries a penalty of up to three years imprisonment and a fine of up to 60,000 baht.