Northeast Thailand: Former police commissioner linked to Saudi jewel theft dies

Chalor Kerdthes, the former police commissioner implicated in the infamous Saudi royal jewellery theft case, passed away at the age of 85. He succumbed to heart failure at Maharaj Hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima on November 24.

Chalor was born to Lieutenant Colonel Chaem and Thongkum Kedthes on August 28, 1938, in Bangkok.

Chalor, an alumnus of the 15th class of the Royal Police Cadet Academy, had an illustrious career, ascending from deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) to commander of Phitsanulok provincial police, and ultimately, the chief of the Royal Thai Police Department. His roles extended beyond the police force as he served as the national football team manager and the chairman of the National Football Association.

However, the former police officer’s reputation took a turn when he got embroiled in the Blue Diamond Affair, a mysterious case of stolen Saudi jewellery that occurred in 1989. In 1993, he, along with seven others, faced charges of malfeasance, conspiracy to steal the missing Saudi royal jewels, and abuse of authority.

The charges were the aftermath of his alleged involvement in the abduction of gems trader Santi Srithanakhan and the kidnapping and murder of Santi’s wife and son, reported Bangkok Post.

The Criminal Court initially sentenced him to life imprisonment, which was later escalated to the death sentence by the Appeals Court in 2006. His police rank was also stripped off as part of the punishment. However, a royal pardon in 2010 saw the former police’s sentence reduced to life imprisonment, which was further shortened to 50 years in 2011. Due to his deteriorating health and paralysis, he was released from jail in 2013.

Chalor had a family of his own, being married to Surang Phonlasup, with whom he had three children. His funeral is scheduled to take place at Subthawee Dhammaram Monastery in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Wang Namkhieo district until December 2.

In related news, a gold shop owner couple who have been transporting 30 kilogrammes of gold back and forth from their home for over 20 years woke up to a shocking gold theft reality – a thief had stolen their gold worth over 15 million baht. Read more about this story HERE.