RANONG, Thailand – Two suspects, a man and a woman, have been arrested for robbing 68 baht of gold, worth 2.8 million baht, from a jewelry store in a popular shopping mall in central Ranong, Sep 13. The male suspect confessed, citing financial hardship and a desperate situation, leading him to recruit his 16-year-old niece for the crime.
On the morning of September 11, two perpetrators stole a substantial amount of gold from a jewelry store in the mall. Ranong Provincial Police Commander, Pol. Maj. Gen. Cherdpong Chiwpreecha, reported that through investigative work, authorities traced the suspects and their hideout. After a night of surveillance, police arrested 41-year-old Weerawut at his residence in Moo 4, Ratchakrut Subdistrict, Mueang Ranong District. Weerawut confessed to the crime and led officers to recover part of the stolen gold, which had been buried in a plastic container behind his house. Another portion was hidden in his mother’s cloth bag.
During questioning, Weerawut admitted that his life had taken a downturn since the COVID-19 pandemic. Once a construction contractor earning tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand baht a month, his income had dried up, leaving him struggling to support his family. His wife had left him, and he was raising his children as a single father. Desperate, he called his 16-year-old niece, Rung, from Kapoe District, Ranong, who was staying in Surat Thani at the time, and asked her to join him in the robbery. He also asked her to purchase a plastic gun for the heist.
Weerawut and Rung scouted the jewelry store on September 10 but decided against robbing it that day due to the large number of people present. The next day, September 11, they went ahead with the plan. Weerawut rode a second-hand motorcycle, which he bought for 1,500 baht in Surat Thani and had repaired. Along the way, he stopped to fix a flat tire. Both suspects wore long-sleeved shirts and extra layers of clothing to conceal their identities.
Weerawut admitted that he felt no fear or anxiety during the robbery, as he believed he had nothing to lose. If successful, he thought it might lift him out of poverty; if caught, he expected prison time. He noted that the jewelry store had no metal bars or owners present, and he knew the staff were unarmed.
After robbing the store, Weerawut and Rung fled on a motorcycle, riding against traffic on the sidewalk along Phetkasem Road toward Ban Bang Klang. They crashed once, injuring Weerawut’s knee and shoulder. Weerawut suspected some of the stolen gold necklaces were lost during the escape.
They continued riding until they reached Thung Yao, where the motorcycle’s tire went flat again. They abandoned the vehicle in a roadside ditch near Phu Khao Ya and hid the remaining gold. They counted approximately 50 baht of gold and discarded their outer clothing and gloves before escaping into the forest. Weerawut then divided some of the gold, giving Rung 5-6 necklaces (each weighing one baht) to sell in Mahachai, Samut Sakhon.
With this information, police tracked Rung’s phone and coordinated with local officers to apprehend her. She will be brought to Ranong for further investigation and legal proceedings.
