Kamphaeng Phet gold shop heist nets 74,300 baht in jewellery

In a brazen daylight heist, a young man robbed a gold shop in Kamphaeng Phet Province, making off with two baht-weight gold necklaces valued at 74,300 baht (US$2,000). The robbery took place at approximately 3.30pm yesterday, March 1, when the suspect, feigning a regular purchase, snatched the jewellery and fled on a motorcycle. The police, led by Deputy Inspector Atit Boonphuangsataphorn, launched a swift investigation leading to the arrest of the 20 year old suspect, a local university student burdened with gambling debts.

At Chomphunuch Gold Shop, nestled beside a bustling market in the heart of Kamphaeng Phet, the 45 year old store owner, Suthee Teerathananon, awaited the police, recounting the events. A slim young man, around 170 centimetres tall with dark skin and a short haircut, wearing a red round-neck T-shirt with a prominent P and purple football shorts, had parked his Honda motorbike outside. Claiming to buy a two-baht gold necklace, he distracted the owner by pretending to call his grandparents for a money transfer.

The suspect, Punnaphat Ployngam, a repeat customer who previously dealt in genuine and counterfeit items, engaged in a lengthy conversation, occasionally stepping out as if to make calls by his motorcycle, reported KhaoSod.

His anxious demeanour and frequent glances outside raised no suspicion initially. Eventually, the man excused himself to get paper from his vehicle but instead sped away with the necklace. In the aftermath, police officials, upon reviewing the motorcycle’s registration details, identified the owner, who revealed that Punnaphat had borrowed the bike.

Punnaphat confessed to the crime, stating he sold the necklace for 60,000 baht (US$1,700) in Nakhon Chum, a sub-district of Kamphaeng Phet, to pay off a portion of his football gambling debt, which still stood at 50,000 baht (US$1,400), following a desperate situation where his debts had spiralled to 100,000 baht (US$2,800). Following the admission, Punnaphat was detained and faced legal proceedings for his actions.