Drugged-up Pattaya thief steals mum’s motorbike from next door
Unemployed addict nicked scooter to fund his meth habit, then blamed guilt
A trusting mum was left heartbroken after her neighbour stole her beloved motorbike but police cracked the case within hours, exposing a drug-fuelled betrayal just doors away from her home.
Sudaphon Sungnoen, from Phitsanulok, woke up early yesterday, June 17, ready to take her child to school, only to find her red-and-black Honda Wave missing from outside her house in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung.
CCTV footage from the village technician confirmed her worst fears: her motorcycle had been pinched in the early hours.
Shattered and stunned, she dashed to Bang Lamung Police Station with the evidence, desperate to recover the bike that was her family’s lifeline.
By 3pm, a rapid-response unit led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Suphawat Lathapreecha and Police Major Pakorn Muenseekhao had tracked the suspect: 31 year old Kittitat “Tae” Boonchan, a neighbour living just a few doors down.
Officers raided a rented house in Thung Krad Village, arresting Tae and recovering the stolen motorbike stashed in a nearby forest, Pattaya News reported.
At first, Tae gave inconsistent answers but under questioning, he cracked. The unemployed ex-scaffolder admitted stealing the bike with plans to sell it, but changed his mind after realising the victim was his neighbour. He insisted he had intended to return it but the law got to him first.
“I was desperate. I’ve got no job and I take five Yaba pills a day.”
Tae added he also smoked crystal meth regularly. He said the theft was his only way to fund his daily expenses and drug habit.
Sudaphon, fighting back tears, said she couldn’t believe someone she trusted would betray her.
“I thought I’d never see my motorcycle again. I believe my good deeds brought it back. Without it, I’d be walking my child to school every day.”
Preliminary tests confirmed Tae’s drug use. He now faces charges of “theft of property at night” and “unlawful consumption of Category 1 narcotics.”
Police praised for their swift work say the case is a reminder of the dangers of drug abuse lurking in even the quietest of neighbourhoods. As for Sudaphon, while her faith in justice has been restored, the sting of betrayal from just next door will take far longer to fade.
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