Bank robbery thwarted by brave security guard in Buriram
Suspect claimed he needed cash for mother’s life-saving treatment
A courageous Thai security guard successfully thwarted a knife-wielding thief attempting to rob a bank in the Isaan province of Buriram yesterday, June 18.
Officers from Nonsuwan Police Station received an emergency alarm from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Nonsuwan branch, and rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, they found the suspect, 38 year old Somphon, already subdued by the security guard and other bank staff.
The security guard, 59 year old Somphop Chansiri, was hailed a hero. CCTV footage shows the suspect approaching Somphop with a long knife in hand.
Despite the threat, Somphop did not hesitate. He immediately grabbed the suspect’s wrist, pushed him away from the bank counter, and disarmed him.
Somphop told Channel 8 that he became suspicious when the man entered the bank wearing a hat and face mask, seemingly trying to conceal his identity. Somphop approached and asked him to remove the mask, and kept a close eye on his movements.
He reported that he pushed the suspect out of the bank and wrestled with him for about 10 minutes until other bank staff joined in to assist. Together, they confiscated the weapon and waited for the police to arrive.
The suspect claimed he acted out of desperation, needing money for his mother, who is suffering from kidney disease.
According to him, she requires 20,000 baht per week for dialysis treatment, which he could no longer afford. This led him to plan and attempt the robbery.
The suspect’s father, Khamman, visited the police station and confirmed his son’s story. He said that he recently cancelled his wife’s treatment due to financial constraints but never imagined his son would attempt to solve the problem by robbing a bank.
Police reported that the suspect tested positive for drugs. He is facing two charges:
- Section 339 of the Criminal Law: Using violence or threats in an attempted robbery. The standard penalty is 5 to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 to 200,000 baht. As the suspect failed to complete the act, the punishment will be reduced to two-thirds under Section 80.
- Section 162 of the Narcotics Control Act: Use of a Category 1 narcotic, punishable by up to one year’s imprisonment, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
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