Thai police have arrested a 36-year-old man accused of robbing a gold shop inside a shopping mall in Aranyaprathet, Sa Kaeo, while armed with a handgun and carrying a homemade smoke bomb. Arnon Udtiram was detained by armed response teams, on 30 August 2026, with investigators saying he confessed to planning the robbery in advance. Police recovered about 50 gold necklaces and bracelets allegedly hidden in woodland beside a railway line. The robbery took place on 27 August at a Yaowarat gold shop in the Sa Kaeo border district. The suspect is accused of taking gold jewellery with a total weight of 72 baht, valued at about 5 million baht. Suspect held on armed robbery warrant The Sa Kaeo Provincial Court issued arrest warrant No. 233/2569 for Arnon on 30 August, charging him with armed robbery and using a vehicle to facilitate the offence, remove stolen property or avoid arrest. Police also obtained search warrant No. 131/2569 and searched a house in Moo 9, Tha Kham subdistrict, Aranyaprathet district. The operation was overseen by Pol Lt Gen Nattasak Chawanasai, commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, Pol Maj Gen Pattanasak Bupphasuwan, commander of the Crime Suppression Division, Pol Col Pongpanot Chukaew, deputy CSD commander, and Pol Col Netiwit Thanasitnitikul, superintendent of CSD Division 2. Police say robbery was well planned According to police, the masked robber entered the mall carrying a handgun and threw a homemade smoke bomb in front of the gold shop before taking numerous necklaces and bracelets. He then fled on a motorcycle that had been parked in readiness. During questioning, Arnon admitted obtaining a motorcycle for the crime and repainting it to alter its appearance. He also said he had bought clothing and a wig to conceal his identity. Police said that after the robbery he hid the motorcycle and stolen gold in wooded ground alongside the railway, before returning to his home and behaving normally. Investigators from CSD Division 2, Sa Kaeo Provincial Police Investigation Division and Aranyaprathet Police Station tracked the alleged escape route and gathered evidence before identifying Arnon as the suspect. The suspect, recovered property and other evidence have been handed to investigators at Aranyaprathet Police Station for further legal proceedings. Pictures courtesy of ThaiRath Related story Gold-shop-robbery-sparks-police-hunt-in-Aranyaprathet Join the discussion? 30 August 2026
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