Thai man on the run after stealing 10 million baht from employer

A Thai woman is demanding Pathum Wan Police Station officers speed up their investigation after her employee stole 10 million baht in cash from her on July 5. The thief remains at large.

The victim, 68 year old Pimduen Siyaphak, urged Channel 7 and other news agencies to publicise the image of the alleged thief, 60 year old Preeda, to help bring him to justice, as police are still unable to locate him after over two weeks.

Pimduen explained that Preeda was her employee. Pimduen employed Preeda because she was very close to his wife, having known each other for over 10 years. Pimduen revealed that she supported Preeda, his wife, and their child for a long time, especially when Preeda was unemployed during the pandemic.

Pimduen emphasised her trust in Preeda and stated she had never observed any suspicious behaviour that would suggest he was capable of theft.

She recounted the incident, stating that she asked Preeda to take her to three banks to withdraw 10 million baht for her daughter. She chose to go with Preeda because he had a motorcycle, which was ideal for heavy traffic in the city centre of Bangkok.

Pimduen said everything seemed fine, except that Preeda was on his phone at all times. After withdrawing the money, she placed the cash in a black bag, which she put in the motorcycle’s basket. She then asked Preeda to take her to the MBK shopping mall.

Thief’s children suspected

Preeda dropped her off at the mall entrance and turned off the engine. Pimduen did not notice anything unusual and entered the mall, leaving her cash with Preeda. However, Preeda did not wait for her as expected and fled.

Pimduen called him but he did not answer. She waited for him at the mall for half an hour but he never returned. She then contacted her daughter and went to Pathum Wan Police Station.

Officers tracked Preeda using security cameras along his escape route. He was seen abandoning his motorcycle and buying a new one. He later appeared in Soi Lat Phrao in the Nonthaburi province near Bangkok at 6pm on the same day.

Police also discovered Preeda riding the new motorcycle behind his daughter’s car in an alley before disappearing in the Thon Buri neighbourhood of Bangkok.

Officers questioned Preeda’s daughter but she denied knowing anything about the theft or her father’s location. She insisted she had not seen him during that time.

Preeda’s son aroused suspicion as he travelled from southern Thailand to Bangkok on July 1 and returned to the southern province on July 6 after Preeda’s theft.

Preeda’s wife, in an interview with Channel 7, revealed that she divorced from her husband for over 10 years and found it impossible to believe he would commit theft. She said Preeda did not spend much money and had never travelled outside of Bangkok.

The wife also insisted that her son was not involved in the theft and that she had no knowledge of her daughter meeting Preeda at the time mentioned by the police.

The case continues.