Woman admits to 10,000 baht theft from Udon Thani disabled man

A 34 year old Thai woman turned herself in at Na Som Police Station in Udon Thani province amidst allegations of withdrawing 10,000 baht from a disabled man’s account. She claimed she intended to share the money with him but he reported the incident first.

The man, 63 year old Somdee Plangsee, reported to officers at Na Som Police Station yesterday, October 1, that Rinda, a local woman, had withdrawn 10,000 baht from his account under the pretense of assisting him. The incident was reported to both Deputy Inspector Peeryut Uchin and Superintendent Chakkraphat Wijitwaitaya. Somdee, who is mentally disabled and hearing impaired, was left with only 5 baht in his account after the withdrawal.

Rinda arrived at the police station yesterday to provide her statement. She faced charges of theft but reacted aggressively when confronted by reporters, threatening to call her lawyer if they took photos or videos. Superintendent Chakkraphat directed the officers to take Rinda for further questioning immediately.

Rinda explained her side of the story, expressing disbelief that Somdee had reported her. She mentioned that she had a close relationship with Somdee, as her husband is Somdee’s relative.

According to Rinda, Somdee asked her to withdraw the money from a Kasikorn Bank ATM in Ban Phon, Na Som subdistrict, Udon Thani province on September 26 and promised to split the money equally with her, each receiving 5,000 baht.

She insisted that she did not steal the money, as she intended to give Somdee his share but was reported before she could do so.

“It was unnecessary to file a complaint. Somdee and I are close, and I have always helped him. He asked me to withdraw the money and promised to share it with me.”

While Rinda was giving her statement, she exhibited erratic behaviour, prompting the police to conduct a urine test. The test revealed traces of methamphetamine, which Rinda admitted to using before arriving at the station. Consequently, she now faces an additional charge of drug use, bringing the total charges against her to two.

The police continue to hold Rinda in custody as they proceed with the legal actions for both the theft and drug use charges. The incident has left the local community in shock, as both Somdee and Rinda are well-known residents of the area, reported KhaoSod.

ORIGINAL STORY: Disabled man in Udon Thani loses 10,000 baht to suspected scam

A disabled man from Udon Thani was reportedly scammed out of 10,000 baht from his account, leaving only 5 baht. Allegations suggest a local woman might have withdrawn the money under false pretences.

Somdee Plangsi, a 63 year old resident of Ban Na Mueang Thai in Na Som, Udon Thani, along with his family members, complained to Peerayut Utchin, Deputy Inspector of Na Som Police Station. They also reported the incident to Jakrapat Wijitvaitaya, Head of Na Som Police Station.

Somdee, who is deaf and has cognitive impairments, suspects that Rinda, a 34 year old woman from the same village, might have covertly withdrawn the 10,000 baht (US$310) provided by the government under the digital wallet scheme.

On September 24, Rinda volunteered to help Somdee link his account to the PromptPay system at the bank’s ATM. However, they were unsuccessful. Rinda then offered to keep Somdee’s ATM card, assuring him that she would withdraw the money for him once it was deposited.

On September 28, Somdee and his relatives approached Rinda to retrieve the ATM card. Rinda claimed she had returned the card to Somdee on September 24.

When Somdee and his relatives checked the bankbook, they discovered that the 10,000 baht had been deposited on September 26 and withdrawn the same day, incurring a 10-baht fee. The remaining balance in Somdee’s account was only 5 baht.

A relative mentioned that there had been previous issues with Rinda’s family. Rinda had previously offered to withdraw Somdee’s elderly allowance and state welfare card funds, only to use the money for herself. The family thought these issues were resolved but now suspects Rinda of taking the 10,000 baht, reported KhaoSod.

The family is determined to pursue the matter legally and believes Rinda is responsible. Somdee plans to submit the complaint documents to Kasikorn Bank to review the CCTV footage and confirm the identity of the person who withdrew the money.