Thief steals 88 gold necklaces worth at least 17 million baht in Chiang Mai

A Thai man stole 88 gold necklaces from Yaowarat Krungthep Gold Shop in Lotus’s supermarket in the Fang district in the northern province of Chiang Mai yesterday. Each gold necklace was worth 200,000 to 500,000 baht causing losses of at least 17 million baht.

The theft took place at about 18.45pm yesterday, November 28. The thief stole 88 gold necklaces from four trays spending only one minute before fleeing the supermarket on his motorcycle. He did not have any weapons and did not injure any employees during the robbery.

Fang Police Station officers reviewed the shop’s security cameras and the supermarket and spotted a man of 180 centimetres height parking his motorcycle, a Honda Wave, without a registration plate at the entrance of the supermarket. He was wearing a long-sleeved black jacket, long black trousers and a motorcycle helmet painted with orange flames.

The man entered the Yaowarat Krungthep Gold Shop swiftly vaulting over the counter to grab four trays of gold necklaces displayed in the glass case. He had no weapons and did not threaten any staff members.

Making a quick escape, the thief fled the premises and mounted his motorcycle. Although the shop manager pursued the thief, they were unable to apprehend him in time.

Each of the trays contained about 20 to 22 gold necklaces, with individual weights ranging from 100 to 230 grammes. Given the value of a 15.16-gramme gold necklace at around 34,000 baht, the estimated worth of each stolen necklace ranged from 200,000 to 500,000 baht.

While the shop did not provide specific details regarding each necklace and the overall losses, assuming a minimum weight of 100 grammes, the potential loss was conservatively estimated at least 17 million baht.

According to the police, the thief navigated his motorcycle into an alley near Fang Hospital, approximately 850 metres from the crime scene. From there, he proceeded towards the Pong Namron intersection, prompting law enforcement to conduct a comprehensive review of CCTV footage to trace his escape routes.