Chon Buri cactus thieves on the loose, plants reportedly worth 80,000 baht

Forget underwear thieves, 2 new crooks are on the loose in Chon Buri- cactus thieves. But why would anyone steal the prickly plants? Because these are reportedly worth 80,000 baht.

CCTV footage from last week shows that 2 men in masks cut through the net of a greenhouse in the Sri Racha district, and stole 200 cactuses before they dashed away in their pickup truck. The cactus farmer, 37 year old Saroj Oransitthiphon, says the plants altogether are worth over 80,000 baht.

Saroj told The Pattaya News that he has become depressed since his precious plants were taken from him. He says he spent lots of time tending to the growing plants. He hoped to use the income he earned from the cactuses to support his family amid the economic crisis. He planned to report the incident to the Sri Racha Police Station.

Thailand, and the world at large, have plunged into an economic crisis due to several issues. These include Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine crisis among other factors. Price inflation is making the costs of dozens of items skyrocket, such as diesel, Pepsi, and postal services, just to name a few. With the crisis at hand, people like Saroj whose livelihoods are stolen from them are pushed even further into desperate situations.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News