Gold necklace grabbed: Brazen bandit makes glittering 172,000 baht heist in southern Thailand

A daring theft took place in a well-known jewellery shop when a thief made off with a gold necklace worth 171,665 baht. The incident occurred today at the Yaowarat Gold Shop, located within a shopping mall in Chana district, Songkhla.

The thief, identified as 34 year old Madaree, a security guard from Hat Yai, Songkhla, was apprehended shortly after the incident.

CCTV footage revealed Madaree entering the jewellery shop and requesting to try on a 75.8 gramme gold necklace. He engaged the shop attendant in conversation, cleverly creating a distraction with his mobile phone. Seizing an opportune moment, Madaree fled the shop with the necklace still around his neck, sparking a swift pursuit by the mall’s security personnel and local police.

Approximately 200 metres away from the shop, Madaree was heading towards a white Toyota Vios parked by the roadside when he was apprehended. The gold necklace was still around his neck. The car’s number plate had been altered with Scotch tape from 5158 to 6168, a tactic used to evade identification, reported KhaoSod.

Upon interrogation, Madaree confessed to his motive for the theft. The stolen gold was to be sold for cash to cover personal expenses. Madaree had arrived directly from work, without any premeditated plans. He is currently held in custody at Chana Police Station, facing charges according to the law.

In related news, police arrested a Burmese man for stealing a gold necklace worth 65,000 baht from a Thai woman in the northern province of Chiang Mai.

The 42 year old victim, surnamed Oil, filed a complaint at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on October 29, saying a man snatched a gold necklace she was wearing and fled at around 4am. The theft took place outside a construction equipment shop on Wiang Ping Road in the Mueang district. Read more about this story HERE.

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