A former employee and his brother-in-law have been arrested for allegedly shooting his former boss and two others during a robbery of about 100,000 baht in gold and electronics from a Pattaya beauty-care shop.
Wanlop Waitakhot, 22, and brother Thanaklit Sae-nguey, 26, were captured Sept. 24 in Nakhon Sawan, eleven days after hidden security cameras showed them allegedly shooting the three women execution style at Best Foam Thailand on Soi Nernplabwan the day before. In the video, Wanlop fired the gun while Thanaklit threatened the victims with a knife, police said.
Police caught up with Wanlop Waitakhot, who shot the women execution style, and brother Thanaklit Sae-nguey, who held the women at knife point, in Nakhon Sawan.
During the arrest, police recovered a 22-caliber pistol, 32 bullets and a gold amulet stolen from the shop. Pattaya police brought the suspects back to scene to re-enact the crime.
Owner of the herb-based products store Sirirat Yodduang, 30, her mother Lhukshin Kropthanyakit, 63, and employee Salisha Thamniyom, 33, miraculously only suffered grazing shots to the head, despite having to lie on the ground while Wanlop allegedly shot them. Police deduced the former employee, who was fired for stealing, was either a really bad shot or used bullets too small for the 22-caliber pistol.
Sirirat said the incident began when the two suspects in full motorbike helmets entered the shop, guns out, forcing them to open the safe while remaining quiet. They took a 2-baht-weight gold necklace, quarter-baht ring, 20,000 baht cash and an Apple iPhone.
The women were then told to lie face down on the ground while Wanlop allegedly fired four shots.
Police said Wanlop confessed, justifying his actions by saying Sirirat had cheated him by cutting his salary, making him feel like he was a slave. He didn’t know the women had survived the shootings until he reached Issan, police said.
Both suspects were charged with attempted murder and armed robbery.
