Octogenarian love heist: 81 year old demands justice as 83 year old hubby swipes for secret sweetheart

An 81 year old Thai woman demanded legal action against her 83 year old husband who stole from her and local vendors so he could support his lover.

Mueang Sing Buri Police Station officers, in the central province of Sing Buri, received a theft report from a 50 year old grocery store owner named Noppakhun Mathap on December 31. The thief was reported to be an 83 year old Thai man whose identity was not revealed.

Noppakhun revealed that the man was notorious in the local community for his history of theft. Although many stores had prohibited him from entering their premises, no legal action had been taken against him. There was a sense of sympathy towards the man, given his old age, and it was presumed that he resorted to stealing for his daily necessities.

Noppakhun detailed an incident where the man stole 3,000 baht in cash from her shop. She reported the incident to the police with the intention of having them caution the elderly man against such behaviour, without seeking legal consequences.

Police then sent the thief back home and met with his 81 year old wife. Officers later learned from the man’s family that he did not steal for a living at all. He stole all the money and assets only to support his lover.

The wife said she could not bear her husband’s behaviour and wanted the police to put him in jail. Her husband stole gold accessories, money, furniture, and other assets from his wife and their shared home to give to his lover who lived nearby.

Stealing for lover

According to the woman, they previously lived in the central province of Ratchaburi and moved to Sing Buri, where their children lived and worked. They lived alone in the house and their children sometimes visited them.

The man then met a neighbour who was much younger than him. He fell in love with her and started giving her gifts and money every time he visited her house.

His wife reported that she did not allow him to enter the house and ordered him to sleep outside because of his theft. When he could no longer steal from his wife the man turned to stealing from grocery stores and restaurants in the community to support his mistress.

The wife insisted police take her husband to the police station and punish him. Officers convinced the woman to take her husband back and asked the man to promise to stop stealing. The man agreed and said he was willing to go to jail if he stole again.

If the man is arrested again, he could face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 60,000 baht for stealing another person’s property under Section 334 of the Criminal Code.