Crime Watch Worth Over 5 Million Baht Stolen in Elaborate Scam Involving Courier Pickup

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

A luxury watch worth over 5.65 million baht has been stolen in a scam in Bangkok, after the perpetrator posed as a buyer and tricked the seller into leaving the item at a courier depot. The suspect later impersonated the recipient to retrieve the package without making any payment.

 

Police from Lat Phrao Police Station were alerted to the incident on the evening of 12 July. Pol. Lt. Col. Ekaphot Manee, an investigator at the station, received a report from a private seller who had listed a Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph Ref. 5980/60G-001, featuring a distinctive blue denim strap, for sale online.

 

The seller was contacted via LINE by a man identifying himself as Natthawat, who expressed interest in purchasing the timepiece for the agreed sum of 5.65 million baht. The seller, believing the transaction to be legitimate, sent the watch through a private courier company, Best Express, located inside a shop on Soi Lat Phrao 101, intersection 34.

 

However, the buyer never transferred the agreed payment. Growing suspicious, the seller visited the courier company and was informed that the package had already been collected by a man aged around 25–30, wearing a cream-coloured t-shirt and grey trousers. The individual reportedly provided accurate details of the sender, convincing staff to release the parcel.

 

The incident has been formally reported and police are now reviewing CCTV footage and other evidence to track down the suspect.

 

Pol. Col. Thanaphan Phadungkan, Superintendent of Lat Phrao Police Station, confirmed that a full investigation is underway. He also issued a public warning to online sellers, advising them never to hand over high-value items before receiving payment, especially to unknown buyers and to avoid leaving valuable goods with courier services under similar arrangements.

 

In a related development, it has emerged that similar fraud cases involving luxury watches have recently been reported at other Bangkok police stations, including Taling Chan and Huai Khwang. These incidents follow a similar modus operandi, suspects express interest in a purchase, request the item be dropped at a delivery service and then send various “riders” or couriers to collect the item using falsified details, without ever paying.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-07-14

 

 

 

[ronster]

So someone sends out a 5 million bht watch before receiving payment 🤔

Sounds like they were both up to something as no proper watch seller would send out something worth that much without payment being made.

Pretty sure this type of scam happened before in the last 6 months also.

[FlorC]

A watch costing 5,65 M thb ??  That's like 1,5 kg pure gold.

Even if you have Elon's money , who would buy that ?

Via Best courier ?? What a joke.

 

[Scouse123]

I don't believe this.

[black tabby12345]

Do digital natives just trust anyone and everyone without doubt?

If they carry out buy and sell of what they value,  better do it securely.

Certainly by not using any delivery drivers.

[KhunBENQ]

15 minutes ago, FlorC said:

A watch costing 5,65 M thb ??  That's like 1,5 kg pure gold.

Even if you have Elon's money , who would buy that ?

Via Best courier ?? What a joke.

 

The Ambanis (India) - 100 billion short of Elon - wouldn't go out with such cheap stuff 😁

Also about 5 million but $$$:

[FlorC]

The only watch worth 5 M , would be one of those Japanese , that can stop time.

I've seen more than a few "documentairies" of them. Sweet ! 👍😉

[Gsxrnz]

I guess C.O.D wasn't an option.

 

But really, who releases anything from your possession before receiving payment, unless you have already established a trusting financial relationship with the counterparty. 

[ezzra]

Yep, some of them crooks out there are pretty smart and crafty, if they only put all that

for a good use, the world would benefit than just another crook.

[Aussie999]

31 minutes ago, FlorC said:

A watch costing 5,65 M thb ??  That's like 1,5 kg pure gold.

Even if you have Elon's money , who would buy that ?

Via Best courier ?? What a joke.

 

That's approx US$182,000...not unheard of for high value watches, so yes, people do buy them.

[ezzra]

34 minutes ago, ronster said:

So someone sends out a 5 million bht watch before receiving payment 🤔

Sounds like they were both up to something as no proper watch seller would send out something worth that much without payment being made.

Pretty sure this type of scam happened before in the last 6 months also.

Yeah, you'd think that sellers of such an item would be a lot smarter than that would you?

the scammer probably doesn't believe his luck to get away with such easy heist.

[CallumWK]

21 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

The Ambanis (India) - 100 billion short of Elon - wouldn't go out with such cheap stuff 😁

Also about 5 million but $$$:

[Gottfrid]

If you sell something for 5 million baht, you do that in person. I mean, it only cost about 1200 baht from Chiang Mai to Phuket with bus, or car will be about 5000 baht. 

[Dexxter]

28 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

The Ambanis (India) - 100 billion short of Elon - wouldn't go out with such cheap stuff 😁

Also about 5 million but $$$:

 

That is a very ugly watch. 😂 My Seiko is much more attractive and a whole lot cheaper. I would not lose more than a nights sleep if I lost it.

[harrycallahan]

Everything else aside, they weren't put off by the fact that parcels sometimes go missing? 

[Dexxter]

17 minutes ago, FlorC said:

The only watch worth 5 M , would be one of those Japanese , that can stop time.

I've seen more than a few "documentairies" of them. Sweet ! 👍😉

Are they those documentaries that take place in Japanese gyms and onsens? They are quite interesting. "STOP!"

[FlorC]

1 minute ago, Dexxter said:

Are they those documentaries that take place in Japanese gyms and onsens? They are quite interesting. "STOP!"

Takes place in a lot of places .

[Formaleins]

How elaborate, almost puts Ocean's 11 to shame. The thief is obviously a dastardly cunning mastermind of evil - either that or the person that left the watch probably needs their head seeing to.

[hotchilli]

20 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

If you sell something for 5 million baht, you do that in person. I mean, it only cost about 1200 baht from Chiang Mai to Phuket with bus, or car will be about 5000 baht. 

Correct, this transaction seemed to be very loose... in person with money transferred and verified.

[JBChiangRai]

It sounds more like an insurance scam to me.  You would never leave an expensive watch at a courier.

 

That watch probably cost about 1.6M baht, but that one and others can be worth a lot more 2nd hand because they are like unobtanium new.

 

Here’s a couple of watches, if you know, you know…

 

 

[AndySilverfox]

Elaborate scam ?? Really ? 

[kuzmabruk]

As my wife says.   Noooo mak.   Really stupid 

[Baba Naba]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/197200379819

[connda]

I've never understood the fake valuation of watches. It's a freaking watch ffs.  But then again I don't wear bling. Really, it's an artificial valuations of something that has little intrinsic value.  If you lose or get robbed or get scammed out of gold, $150K watches, or other bling - silly you.  That's what you get for advertising you supposed status.   Tough!

[Nickcage49]

[JBChiangRai]

You can make a lot of money with watches.  20 years on the waiting list, you pay under ฿2 million and sell over ฿7 million

[ignore it]

[FlorC]

Do they still run around Silom in Bangkok at night with a catalog 

of fake watches you can buy ?

Get a 5 M watch for 500 B to show off a real.

[Cabradelmar]

Insurance fraud or flat out stupidity...you decide.

[henryford1958]

So the courier just took the guys word that he had paid for it ?  Must be a scam or insurance fraud.