A Swedish-Thai man who cased a Central Pattaya gold shop for three days was arrested after allegedly stealing 122,000 baht in gold in an after-dark smash-and-grab.
“Eddie” Anuchat Bupasiri, 35, was tackled by a motorcycle taxi driver and detained for police July 26 after fleeing the Suwannakorn gold shop near the Best Supermarket on Second Road around 8 p.m. Police found two necklaces with a combined five-baht weight on him.
Police have arrested “Eddie” Anuchat Bupasiri for gold theft.
Shop owner Atchara Hongsawong, 48, said Bupasiri – who grew up and lives in Sweden – allegedly had been hanging out in the shop for hours each of the past three days, then grabbed the necklaces just as her daughter was closing the shop.
Police said Bupasiri confessed to the theft, saying he wanted to use the gold to pay for a wedding dowry for his Thai girlfriend.
Atchara said she’d been suspicious of the Thai-looking man who spoke halting English to her since he came in with envelopes supposedly full of cash and a credit card he refused to use. She said he’d look over gold for hours, then say he’d return the next day to pay.
On the third day, Bupasiri apparently got over his nerves, tried to pawn off the fake money, then grabbed the gold and ran.
Police believe the Swedish-Thai man has been living in the kingdom for a while and are investigating if he committed similar crimes elsewhere.
