Pattaya: Police soon have bank robbers in custody and the loot - but it's cartoon money!

[webfact]

Pattaya: Police soon have bank robbers in custody and the loot - but it's cartoon money!

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Pattaya's finest sprung into action after two burly men arrived at the Government Housing Bank in North Pattaya and ordered the customers on the ground and a female staffer to hand over the cash at gunpoint. 

 

They fled the scene on their motorcycle (plates unknown) and security at the bank sounded the alarm directly to the Pattaya police station.

 

Officers swung into action with an APB radioing ahead.

 

Within 20 minutes the two robbers were arrested at the end of Soi Som Poi in South Pattaya.

 

And everyone, bank staff included, was having a jolly good time posing for the cameras behind a vinyl sign as the robbers with their cartoon money looked forlorn.

 

Yes, it was all a trial run for the real thing. 

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Deputy commander of the Pattaya police Pol Lt-Col Nithat Waenpradap said that practice like this had been ordered by the RTP HQ and Region 2 top brass. 

 

He intimated that practice makes perfect and flaws in procedure could be ironed out.

 

Such exercises were carried out once a month with bank robberies being replaced by those at gold shops and convenience stores on occasion. 

 

He said that the public are always informed beforehand when such a test is taking place to avoid panic and shock. 

 

By this he meant shock that a robbery was taking place, not that the police were quickly on the scene, notes Thaivisa. 

 

Lt-Col Nithat asked the public to be aware of their surroundings and carefully note the appearance of the baddies. 

 

But they should not intervene; that should be left to the professionalism of the police, he advised. 

 

Source: Siam Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-09-16

 

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[CelticBhoy]

Arai-wa?

[Justgrazing]

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

that should be left to the professionalism of the police, he advised

What can one say .. 

 

The armed robbers look a bit armless in the pic .. 

[ezzra]

Hang on a minute, how is it a practice run if the police knows everything in advance, like duh, they know who are the robbers and the bank and probably the escape rout too... must be very bored police in Pattaya nowdays with no tourists eh?...

[RichardColeman]

47 minutes ago, webfact said:

Pattaya: Police soon have bank robbers in custody and the loot - but it's cartoon money!

Just as well, Thailand has cartoon police a lot of the time

[bluesofa]

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

He intimated that practice makes perfect and flaws in procedure could be ironed out.

So next time the police could nick some real dosh.

[Jack Mountain]

And when an accident happends because of the chase?

[bluesofa]

23 minutes ago, Jack Mountain said:

And when an accident happends because of the chase?

compensation will be paid - with cartoon money.

[sammieuk1]

Don't peak to soon men that's enough exhaustion ???? 

[steven100]

only in Thailand .....  you can't make this stuff up .. !!  lol

[PatOngo]

No pointing, no legitimacy! ???? 

[CanuckThai]

Hmmm, what exactly are "they" practicing?   Who's practicing ...the bank staff?  What police force would send officers into a bank or location during a robbery these days?  Entertaining for sure.   Maybe they could do mock immigration shakedowns next month....????

[ChrisY1]

Just practicing.....maybe the new way forward....catch the crooks and the loot....change the cash for monopoly money....might even work!

[JusticeGB]

They took 20 minutes to catch the thieves even though they knew in advance that the robbery would be taking place? Were they on a tea break or with their Mia Nois for a quickie?

[jacko45k]

48 minutes ago, JusticeGB said:

They took 20 minutes to catch the thieves even though they knew in advance that the robbery would be taking place? Were they on a tea break or with their Mia Nois for a quickie?

They would have caught them in 10 minutes at the nearest bar had the money been real.

[natway09]

Bloody lucky I did not shoot them. They did not tell me it was staged

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

Hang on a minute, how is it a practice run if the police knows everything in advance, like duh, they know who are the robbers and the bank and probably the escape rout too... must be very bored police in Pattaya nowdays with no tourists eh?...

No foreigners to hassle, must be bored to death.

[jpduggan]

   Obviously they are getting ready for many more bank and gold store robberies with so many Thais in desperation in the current economic environment.

[Leaver]

For a real drill, they should also practice shooting out the tyres of the getaway vehicle.  ????