A Kazakh family was left wondering if they encountered a generous burglar or one interrupted in the act after returning home to find the safe in their Jomtien Beach home cracked, but only some of the money inside taken.
Police were called to View Talay Village Dec. 30 after Russian Alexsey Makarov, 48, and his Thai partner Natapon Mohbamrung, 28, filed a complaint that the house they rented to 39-year-old Yevgeniy Gaponchuk from Kazakhstan had been burglarized for a fourth time.
Yevgeniy Gaponchuk points out to police the half empty safe.
The sliding door next to the pool had been pried open with a metal bar and footprints were found near the outside wall. In the bedroom, a safe stood open, but with no signs it had been forcibly breached.
Lying inside the opened safe was US$3,200 and 20,000 baht. But Gaponchuk told police the safe originally contained US$6,100.
He was at a loss to explain why not all the cash was taken.
Natapon said he and Makarov owned and rented out several properties, this one for 35,000 baht a month to Gaponchuk and his family, who had moved in on Nov. 3 and were due to leave on Jan. 15.
This was the fourth time the house had been burglarized since they bought it and other homes in the village also have been robbed, Natapon complained to police. He said homeowners there want the village management to improve security.
Police estimated there was more than one burglar involved and admitted that they seem to know their way around View Talay Village quite well.
