A 35-year-old man in Songkhla has been arrested after falsely claiming he was robbed of gold jewellery, only to later admit he fabricated the story after gambling away money given to him by his wife. Police said the man reported that two suspects on a motorcycle had kicked his bike into a drainage canal and stolen gold weighing two baht and two salueng.
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The incident was reported to police on 5 March 2026. Officers from Muang Songkhla Police Station were dispatched to the scene at a drainage canal along Samrong canal in Khao Rup Chang subdistrict, Muang district, Songkhla.
At the scene, police found the man, identified only as Arm, standing near the canal while his motorcycle was submerged in the water. Officers and bystanders helped retrieve the vehicle from the canal before investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged robbery.
According to Pol Col Keerati Triwai, chief of Muang Songkhla Police Station, the initial report claimed two suspects had followed the victim on a motorcycle before kicking his bike, causing it to crash into the canal. The alleged attackers were said to have stolen a gold necklace weighing two baht and two salueng before fleeing.
Following the report, police immediately set up road checkpoints along multiple routes in an attempt to locate the suspects. Investigators also began reviewing CCTV footage to trace the victim’s movements before the incident.
Police discovered that the man had indeed visited a gold shop earlier, but CCTV footage showed he had only asked about gold prices and did not buy or redeem any jewellery. Further checks along his route also failed to reveal any motorcycle following him or committing a robbery as described.
Pictures courtesy of Amarin
Investigators grew suspicious due to inconsistencies in the man’s account and questioned him further. During detailed interrogation, he eventually admitted the robbery never happened and that he had fabricated the entire story.
Police said the man’s wife had given him money to redeem gold at a jewellery shop. Instead, he spent the money on online gambling and lost everything, leaving him afraid to return home and face his wife.
To support the false claim, he staged the scene by allowing his motorcycle to end up in the canal and reported a robbery to authorities. Officers subsequently detained him and reclassified him from victim to suspect.
He now faces charges of filing a false police report under Thai criminal law. The offence carries a maximum penalty of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 60,000 baht. Pol Col Keerati warned the public that emergency calls to 191 must be reserved for genuine situations, as false reports can divert resources from real emergencies and endanger lives and property.
Anarin reported that later, the suspect’s mother and wife travelled to Muang Songkhla Police Station to arrange bail following his arrest as legal proceedings began.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 6 Mar 2026
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