Dim chef serves self to police

CHERNG TALAY: Cherng Talay District Police on April 10 enjoyed making one of their easiest arrests on record, nabbing a thief who foolishly transferred funds from his victim’s bank account directly into his own.

Officers led by Maj Thongchai Matitham arrested 24-year-old Songkhla native Areeyang Talae at 5.30 pm for the theft of an ATM card reported lost by Swede Henrik Olsson who had funds subsequently withdrawn from his account.

Maj Thongchai explained that Areeyang worked as assistant chef in the beachfront restaurant at Bangtao Lagoon Bungalows, where Mr Olsson was also employed as a chef.

Earlier that day, Mr Olsson reported to Cherng Talay Police that his ATM card had been stolen from his trouser pocket on April 6. He had left his trousers at the restaurant while he went swimming, said Maj Thongchai.

Police and Mr Olsson then went to the Cherng Talay branch of the Bank of Ayudhya, where Mr Olsson has his account. There they discovered that about 60,000 baht had been withdrawn from his account since April 6, Maj Thongchai said.

“Many ATM withdrawals had been made from Mr Olsson’s account. We also found that 10,000 baht had been transferred directly to Areeyang’s account,” he said.

“We went to the restaurant where Areeyang was still working. It seemed that he knew we would arrest him, because he had stashed 53,690 baht in the bathroom waste bin.

“After his arrest, Areeyang confessed that he had stolen Mr Olsson’s money and showed us where he had hidden it,” Maj Thongchai said.

Areeyang has been released on 50,000-baht bail.

Pol Sub Lt Supachai Poolkaew said that Areeyang was apparently intending to use the stolen money to fund a vacation with his girlfriend.

“He knew the PIN code because he was very close to the chef and used to visit the chef’s house. He found the ATM PIN number there,” he explained.