Thai bike bandit claims he steals to stop angry wife leaving him
A Thai motorcycle thief cracked under police questioning and confessed he stole the vehicles to prevent his alleged temperamental wife from leaving him in Chon Buri.
Bang Lamung Police Station officers suspected the 31 year old man, Watcharapong, of stealing motorcycles from locals in the area after they found him selling a motorcycle in perfect condition for only 5,000 baht.
Officers then raided Watcharapong’s home in Soi Pornthep Village on Tuesday, August 27, and found him asleep in his bedroom. They woke and detained him while they searched his accommodation.
Police found a grey Yamaha Fino outside his home and checked the chassis number. The check revealed that this motorcycle belonged to a victim who lost it at a restaurant on Sukhumvit Road on July 11.
With clear evidence, Watcharapong was taken to the police station for questioning. He denied the allegation during several hours of interrogation but eventually broke under pressure and confessed to his crimes.
Watcharapong admitted that he stole the grey motorcycle from the restaurant after the owner left the key in the ignition. He recently stole another motorcycle from outside the Jomtien Electricity Station on the night of Monday, August 26.
According to the motorcycle thief, he stole six vehicles between July and August, focusing on those whose owners left keys in the ignition.
When asked about his motive, Watcharapong claimed he used to work as a construction worker but later lost his job. He was worried that his wife would abandon him if he were poor.
“I’m worried that she will run away. She always walks out of the house when we argue. I love her so much. I have to steal motorcycles to search for her when she leaves home. I sold some of the stolen vehicles at a cheap price and spent the money to care for my wife and also on drugs.”
Watcharapong apologised to all the victims and promised not to repeat his actions when he was released from prison.
Police, however, were not convinced by the thief’s claim. Officers told Channel 3 that Watcharapong was a professional thief. He destroyed CCTV cameras at the scenes and nearby areas to make it difficult for police to track him down.
