Contractor arrested in Rayong for series of theft and fraud

Following a warrant by the Rayong Provincial Court earlier this month, Bangkok police arrested a contractor in Ramkhamhaeng yesterday for a series of thefts and fraud extending to government contracts.

Investigations revealed that the 50 year old construction company owner, Thanik, who had been operating in Rayong since 2018, reportedly had a history of abandoning projects.

In 2019, he allegedly left several government-funded construction projects unfinished, causing damages worth over 2 million baht. Consequently, the Ministry of Finance apparently barred him from bidding on future government projects. Shifting his focus, he began taking on electrical system installation contracts.

Earlier this year, Thanik was hired to upgrade the electrical system of a commercial building in Rayong. After receiving an initial and a second deposit totalling over 100,000 baht, he began the project by quickly installing a main electrical panel.

Impressed by the speed, the client paid an additional deposit of 45,000 baht for the final phase of the project. However, Thanik allegedly disappeared, leaving the project incomplete.

The building owner discovered that old, usable electrical wires worth over 6,000 baht were missing. Further inspection revealed that the supposedly new electrical installations were substandard, using low-quality wires.

The main electrical panel installed by Thanik was found to be an empty box with no functional components inside. Realising they had been defrauded, the owner reported the incident to the Rayong police.

The police investigation led to a warrant for Thanik’s arrest. After abandoning his family in Rayong, he fled north, hiding for over a month before applying for a job with another contractor in Ramkhamhaeng. Police surveillance led to his capture after two days of monitoring his movements.

Upon arrest, Thanik denied all charges, claiming he had never intentionally deceived anyone. He admitted to taking the wires but stated he intended to use them temporarily for another project and return them later. He attributed any delays in his work to juggling multiple contracts, which required moving funds between projects.

Thanik was handed over to the Rayong police for further legal proceedings. In a statement, the Rayong police emphasised their commitment to bringing justice to those affected by Thanik’s fraudulent activities and warned other potential fraudsters of the severe consequences of such actions, reported KhaoSod.