Notorious motorbike thief’s joyrides hit the brakes in Thailand

A notorious thief, who swiftly stole motorbikes in under 15 seconds and sold them at cheap prices online, was arrested in his latest act as police slammed the brakes on his illegal business. The suspect, Phongsathon, was involved in over 40 such thefts and used the proceeds for gambling and drug abuse.

The arrest took place today, by the police force in the Banglamung district after being linked to large-scale drug trafficking gangs caught in a local hotel.

The arrest followed the capture of the thief’s actions by a surveillance camera, stealing a white Honda Wave motorcycle with the registration plate Chon Buri 268. The theft took place in front of an electronics store in the Takhian Tia, Banglamung, Chon Buri district.

Footage revealed the thief unlocking the motorcycle keys and fleeing the scene in less than 10 seconds.

Following the incident, the Banglamung Police Investigation Unit embarked on a field search. They identified the thief as Phongsathon and began tracking him, only to find that he had already been detained by the Pattaya City police for drug-related offences.

Upon questioning, Phongsathon confessed to being the individual in the surveillance footage. He admitted that it took him no more than 10 to 15 seconds to unlock the motorbike keys, start the engine and flee.

He would then photograph the stolen bike and post it for sale on the Buy-Sell Repossessed and Fire Escaping Cars page. Within an hour, buyers would arrive to purchase the bikes. The latest stolen motorcycle was sold for 9,000 baht, reported KhaoSod.

The motorbike thief further confessed that he operated alone. He would drive around in his car looking for victims in various neighbourhoods. Once he spotted a motorbike he liked, he would park his car, walk to commit the theft, and immediately sell the stolen bike. He would then return to retrieve his car.

He admitted to stealing about 40 motorbikes in Pattaya, Banglamung, Laem Chabang, and Sri Racha. He committed these thefts to fund his drug addiction and online gambling.