A bedridden Swiss man has appealed for public help after a vinyl and CD collection valued at more than 12.5 million baht disappeared from his home in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, with a former Thai caregiver now suspected. Peter Kalt reported that more than 1,000 vinyl records and 400 CDs went missing from a storage room at his property in the Hin Lek Fai subdistrict. He believes the disappearance may have involved someone known to the household.

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The incident is believed to have taken place on May 2, when Kalt’s wife, Brigit, was away from the home attending a massage appointment. Kalt was alone at the residence at the time but said his medical condition left him bedridden and unable to monitor activity around the property. The couple discovered the missing items and filed a theft complaint with police on May 5.

According to Kalt, the collection was built over decades while he lived and worked in Chicago and Switzerland. He estimated its value at around 300,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to approximately 12.5 million baht, though he said the sentimental value of the items was even greater due to their personal significance and rarity.

Police visited the property following the complaint and examined the scene. Investigators also reviewed security camera footage from outside the home. Kalt stated that the footage showed a former female caregiver leaving the property on a motorcycle carrying plastic bags, which officers considered suspicious. He added that police said they knew the identity of the individual seen in the footage.

Kalt said the caregiver had previously been employed through a local nursing company and had experienced financial difficulties. He also claimed she had asked him and his wife for money on several occasions prior to the incident. Despite this, he said he has received no further updates from investigators and is unaware of any new developments in the case.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, Kalt contacted Hua Hin Today on 3 June, to raise public awareness and request assistance in locating the missing collection. He is urging residents, expats and record collectors in Hua Hin to report any attempts to sell rare music collections or unusual large archives of vinyl records and CDs that may match the description.

Wochenblitz reported that he plans to return to Switzerland long-term due to leg complaints, where he expects better treatment. Peter Kalthas lived in Thailand for 11 years and is bedridden and requires care due to a medical complication. He hopes that information will lead to the recovery of his collection and the apprehension of the perpetrator

Picture courtesy of Wochenblitz

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Wochenblitz 5 June 2026

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property insurance

install cameras

The price of Record Ablums just went down, Flash Sale just around the corner. Agree Insurance, Locks and Video Cameras should have been in place. All kidding aside, I know what its like to lose the things you valued, feel sorry for him. Hopefully some of it will be recovered. Peace

Check the local market tonight.

22 minutes ago, Explorator en Action said:

The price of Record Ablums just went down,

the value of his collection seems exaggerated except if he a ton of rare collectibles maybe? value seems crazy to me.

I'm a collector. Vinyl is heavy, so are books.

I don't think the carer could take all that weight away in plastic bags on a motorcycle. It would take a pickup truck. The immediate step should have been to track her down and maybe eliminate her as a suspect.

Strange theft without insurance claim. To whom would anybody sell these???

Sadly, at least he doesn't have to move them back to Switzerland.

I can see some commenters did not read the entire article.

He has exterior security cameras that showed an individual carrying multiple plastic bags outside the residence and getting on a mororbike.

The alleged individual was known to the man as a caregiver. He contacted Hua Hin Today because of the lack or pace of the Police assistance.

2 minutes ago, J Branche said:

I can see some commenters did not read the entire article.

He has exterior security cameras that showed an individual carrying multiple plastic bags outside the residence and getting on a mororbike.

The alleged individual was known to the man as a caregiver. He contacted Hua Hin Today because of the lack or pace of the Police assistance.

1000pcs of vinyl is gunna be more than a few plastic bags!

15 hours ago, save the frogs said:

property insurance

install cameras

Large safe

1000 records/cd’s sounds like a pick up truck full to me. I wouldn’t like to have to move all of that.

And I wonder who is going to buy it all? Sure there are collectors for retro stuff, but are they on every Thai street corner?

I would have thought that a caregiver could have chosen something smaller, valuable and marketable to steal.

I hope he can recover his items but I think he has bigger things to worry about given his medical issues

I have a collection of vinyl records but playing them is difficult as the heat stretches the rubber turntable band.

There is a lot of heartache when they are there but unplayed. I guess seeing someone walking off with them feels worse.

One wonders what there could be in the collection to justify a value of 12.5 million baht. Sounds extraordinarily high to me, however I have no experience of the vinyl and CD market.

Many CDs will be hanging on cotton or fishing line as ornaments outside various shops!

3 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

1000 records/cd’s sounds like a pick up truck full to me. I wouldn’t like to have to move all of that.

Yeah, strange story, 200-300 kg of vinyl wont fit in a couple of plastic bags.

A standard single LP (12-inch) record typically weighs between 120 and 180 grams (roughly 0.25 to 0.4 pounds) on its own. When you factor in the cardboard jacket, inner sleeve, and any inserts, the total weight of a packaged, single LP usually ranges from 200 to 300 grams (0.4 to 0.6 pounds

12.000.000/1.400 = 8571B average per item.

Maybe gold plated or sentimental value for him. Not real value.

15 hours ago, save the frogs said:

the value of his collection seems exaggerated except if he a ton of rare collectibles maybe? value seems crazy to me.

Exactly; I wouldn't value used records or CDs at more than US$10 max, so maybe THB 500,000 for the lot. Unless he had a LOT of really rare items, as you suggest.

10 minutes ago, Cory1848 said:

Exactly; I wouldn't value used records or CDs at more than US$10 max,

A lot of them are worth 0$, I'm guessing.

A lot of them are unsellable.

I remember many many years ago selling some used CDs and the shops didn't want them because the bands were no longer popular.

Now, young kids are probably happy with Spotify and don't care about CDs so the market is small to begin with.

Lost all my vinyl records, cds, vhs tapes, long ago, due to various location moves. Yeah, I guess they might be worth a pretty penny now, especially the vinyl stuff. Went into a "trendy" pub in London, and they were playing the vinyl stuff I used to own; weird feeling, listening to stuff I used to think nothing of, played as something special.

He is going to be very disappointed when he finds out that his valuable asset is worth nothing.

Value is way off surely unless he has multiple rare vinyl copies , CDs are not worth anything really and even rare ones would have to be very limited edition or signed by the artist in single digit numbers .

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

1000pcs of vinyl is gunna be more than a few plastic bags!

I'm only presenting factual information from the article "female caregiver leaving the property on a motorcycle carrying plastic bags"

I agree considering AI estimates 100 Vinyl 78 records with cover at 20 kilos it would be way more than 2 even heavy duty plastic bags.

As for the value presented I agree sounds like an insured type value but there is no mention of insurance

16 hours ago, save the frogs said:

property insurance

install cameras

I guess you didn't actually read the report, only the headline.
Investigators also reviewed security camera footage from outside the home.

1,000 vinyl (likely) albums and 400 CDs, in total 1,400 unit. 12.5 million baht value equals that each unit should be worth 12,500,000/1,400 = 8,928 baht each. That's in average around $250-$270 each. Must be a very unique rare collection in mint condition.

In the always crystal bright light of hindsight: Perhaps I shouldn't have left my more than 1,000 heavy vinyl records as give away back home, when I moved out...😢

17 hours ago, blaze master said:

Check the local market tonight.

I don't think he can.

2 hours ago, FlorC said:

12.000.000/1.400 = 8571B average per item.

Maybe gold plated or sentimental value for him. Not real value.

Realy comes down to what was in the collection though, some do command decent coin.

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Many CDs will be hanging on cotton or fishing line as ornaments outside various shops!

Or at the rear of someone's motorbike food truck instead of opening their rear lights!

7 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Realy comes down to what was in the collection though, some do command decent coin.

I couldn't give my old CDs away, all boxed, nobody wanted them.

House music and dance music from the 80s and 90s

12.5 million baht???

$400k USD???

1000 vinyl & CD's???

That means an average of $400 for each vinyl & CD???

What am I missing here?

25 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

I couldn't give my old CDs away, all boxed, nobody wanted them.

House music and dance music from the 80s and 90s

Shoulda hoarded collectables rather than crap!

17 minutes ago, Noradonis said:

12.5 million baht???

$400k USD???

1000 vinyl & CD's???

That means an average of $400 for each vinyl & CD???

What am I missing here?

You don't think a vinyl record or CD can be worth $400 ?

Wu-Tang Clan "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin" sold for 4 million USD !