Picture captured from CCTV and courtesy of Kaoded.

 

A lone gunman made off with 184 baht in gold jewellery, worth more than 9 million baht, after brazenly robbing a well-known gold shop in the heart of Hat Yai city on 8 April, just before noon.

 

At approximately 11:55, Pol. Lt. Sathaporn Suksawang of Hat Yai Police Station received a report of an armed robbery at Thai Udom Gold Shop 2 on Montri 1 Road in central Hat Yai. He promptly informed senior police officers, including Pol. Col. Thammarat Phetnongchum, Superintendent of Hatyai Police, and Pol. Col. Sakda Charoenkul, Deputy Commander of Provincial Police Region 9, who arrived on the scene with investigative teams.

 

 

Upon arrival, police found shaken staff members and four gold trays scattered across the shop’s showcase area. Witnesses reported that a man, believed to be around 50 years old and wearing a cap to conceal his identity, entered the shop while employees were serving customers. Staff requested that he remove his cap as per shop policy, but instead, the suspect displayed a handgun, causing panic.

 

One staff member quickly triggered the shop’s alarm system while others fled to the back of the store. Taking advantage of the chaos, the robber grabbed four trays of gold jewellery, placing the items into a backpack before calmly walking out of the shop. He then made his escape on a red Honda Dream motorcycle with Yala province registration plates, parked about 30 metres away.

 

Preliminary reports confirmed that a total of 184 baht in gold was stolen, comprising:

 

• 21 one-baht gold necklaces

• 30 two-baht gold bracelets

• 20 two-baht gold necklaces

• 21 three-baht gold bracelets

 

The combined value of the stolen jewellery exceeds 9 million baht.

Police reviewed CCTV footage from the area, which lies within Hat Yai’s busy municipal centre. Investigators report that the robber is a Malaysian man named Mr. Yi Bun Long, 61 years old,  with police offering a 100000 baht reward for information leading to his capture.

Mr. Yi Bun Long had previously used a gun to robbed another gold shop, which was located opposite the scene of today’s incident on January 6, 2017. At that time, he stole 31 gold necklaces, weighing 115 baht, worth over 2.3 million baht. He was eventually arrested and was only released from prison a little over a year ago. 
 

-- 2025-04-09

 

Impressive haul 

UPDATE
Malaysian Robber Arrested After 9-Million-Baht Gold Heist in Hat Yai

 

Picture and video courtesy of CIB.

 

Police have apprehended a Malaysian national suspected of robbing a gold shop in broad daylight in central Hat Yai, making off with gold worth over 9 million baht.

 

The incident took place at approximately 11:55 on 8 April, when a lone gunman stormed into the Thai Udom 2 Gold Shop on Montri 1 Road in Hat Yai district. Armed with a handgun, the suspect threatened staff and escaped with 138 baht-weight of gold jewellery, valued at around 9 million baht.

 

Following the robbery, police swiftly launched a manhunt and obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect, identified as 61-year-old Malaysian national Yee Boon Long. Authorities coordinated efforts with multiple agencies, inspecting trains, buses, and border checkpoints amid concerns that the suspect may attempt to flee the country.

 

Further investigation revealed that Yee had a lengthy criminal history. Twenty years ago, he was involved in a major gold shop robbery in Butterworth, Malaysia, escaping with approximately 50 million baht worth of valuables. He is believed to have been living in Thailand for over a decade and had previously been arrested by Thai police for a 2017 robbery at another Hat Yai gold shop, Thai Yindee 2, located in the city’s central plaza area.

 

According to the latest reports, Yee was captured while trying to flee via the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok. He is currently in police custody and undergoing interrogation.

 

The case has raised concerns over cross-border criminal activity and the need for heightened security at commercial establishments across the region.

 

-- 2025-04-10