Boonlua Chatree
Police have arrested the former police volunteer who
police said was the final suspect in June’s elaborate swindle of a
British man.
Thummkrit Thanomrod, 28, was apprehended July 26 on
Third Road. Tracked down by his unauthorized use of his police volunteer
squad walkie-talkie, the Pong resident was charged with both illegal use
of a police communications device and the robbery offense on the June
arrest warrant.
Thummkrit is the last of three suspects arrested for
the alleged theft of 12,000 baht from Paul Denham, 59, and his
girlfriend, 40-year-old Prakai Janphot at their hotel in North Pattaya
June 19.
According to the victims, they had been having one of
their frequent drunken arguments on Second Road when a Thai woman -
Orawan Kaewdaeng, 43 - approached them to offer assistance. She then led
them back to their hotel where they were joined by Wattanachai
Sreekhumnoi, 22, and Thummkrit, who was dressed in his volunteer
uniform.
Wattanachai turned himself into police shortly after
the incident and Orawan was arrested July 18 for another unrelated
theft.
Claiming to be police, Wattanachai and Thummkrit
allegedly searched Denham’s room and attempted to mediate the dispute
between the couple, which had reached the point of Denham telling Prakai
to leave. Orawan allegedly then demanded 10,000 baht as a parting gift
for his paramour and 2,000 baht for the officers. He complied.
Prakai didn’t leave, however, and when the two
reunited, they discovered the supposed police had absconded with all the
cash, as well as a mobile phone and passport taken during their search
of their room.
Police said last month that Thummkrit confessed to
being part of the grifting gang, but had nothing to do with the theft,
saying he was on the balcony when the money exchange took place. But he
also admitted to fleeing to Khon Kaen when he learned an arrest warrant
had been issued for him.
