Gold shop worker steals 24 million baht after 10 years salary freeze

A Thai gold shop worker confessed to stealing 24 million baht worth of gold from a shop in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok, because his salary did not increase during his 10 years of employment.

The owner of the gold shop took legal action against his 40 year old employee, Phaisarn, after he was caught stealing gold accessories weighing nearly 10 kilogrammes and valued at over 24 million baht. Security camera footage showed Phaisarn stealing between around 15 pieces of gold from a display counter since June of last year.

The shop owner was unaware of the thefts and did not become suspicious until the company’s annual stock take. The owner discovered that a significant amount of gold was missing and decided to review CCTV footage.

The owner revealed to Channel 7 that Phaisarn was also a relative and had been working at the shop for more than 10 years. Because of the trust between the owner, his family, and Phaisarn, the shop only conducted a yearly stock count, not daily or monthly.

Officers from Royal Palace Police Station arrested Phaisarn at his home in the Bangyai district of Nonthaburi yesterday, August 26. Phaisarn cooperated with the police and confessed to the theft.

Phaisarn claimed he stole because he felt neglected and disappointed that the owner never increased his salary, despite his long service. He earned 15,000 baht per month and had asked for a raise but was refused.

Phaisarn stated that he could not remember how many times he stole the valuables. He sold the gold at another gold shop and spent the money on daily expenses and holidays.

Phaisarn was charged under Section 335(11) of the Criminal Code for committing theft of an item belonging to or in the possession of his employer. The penalty is imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of between 20,000 and 100,000 baht.

In a related report in June, a Thai female worker at a gold shop in the central province of Samut Prakan was arrested after stealing gold accessories to fund online gambling. The woman was caught on CCTV hiding gold in her sleeves.