Victims Perform Citizen's Arrest On Baht Bus Thieves

[libya 115]

SOURCE: Pattaya Daily News: July 7th 2008

VICTIMS PERFORM CITIZEN‘S ARREST ON BAHT BUS THIEVES

A German and his Thai wife were the victims of a gang of thieves operating from a baht bus in Pattaya yesterday, 6 July 2008. The German and his wife later carried out a citizen‘s arrest, near the Dolphin Roundabout.

Pattaya Police Lieutenant Santipol Poowadol later received a report of the robbing incident and went to investigate. At Dolphin Roundabout, he found Mr. Harry Espis (68), his wife, Mrs. Kannikar Polreungthong (40) and a taxi driver who had helped the couple catch the three thieves. The thieves were Mr. Sutep Shothang (19) dressed as a katoey, Miss Janpen Khanthongdee(24) dressed as a tomboy, and Mrs. Atchara junsawang(37). The thieves had used a grey-black Honda Wave motorbike as transport, which police took as evidence.

In answer to the police questions, Mrs. Kannikar said her husband and she finished drinking in the local bars, then withdrew Bt40,000 baht from an ATM, before catching a songteaw (baht bus) to go to their hotel, Pattaya Garden, North Pattaya.

In the songteaw, she noticed Mr. Sutep Shothang and Miss Janpen sitting in the vehicle before they got in. For some reason, she instinctively distrusted the two passengers. She next saw the two had moved to sit next to her husband and became suspicious.

Keeping her eyes on them, she suddenly saw the kateoy picking her husband's pocket and taking Bt40,000 out of it. She then took hold of the thief's wrist and yelled for help. As the two thieves were pressing the stop button of the bus, her husband also tried to arrest them both. The driver then saw the situation, with bank notes flying everywhere, he then stopped the bus and ran to help. Simultaneously, a motorbike arrived, ridden by Mrs. Atchara Junsawang, the thieves' accomplice. She next pulled alongside the baht bus and tried to get the two thieves onto the bike, but they could not get away from the couple and the bus driver.

Police later investigated the thieves, and discovered this gang had a long record of robbery. Nevertheless, the three still refused to accept culpability, even though they had been caught with the evidence, Bt40,000, in their hands. Police held them in custody and they will later be prosecuted.

Editor's Comment

As a closing observation, it is extremely significant that most thieves in Pattaya are caught by victims and onlookers, and very rarely by the police, themselves. There must be moral there somewhere!

[Briggsy]

'Cos the coppers are too busy getting lashed in Sabailand.

[cali4995]

Was it mere coincidence that the couple had just been to the ATM? I've often been surprised there aren't

more smash and grab crimes right at the ATM with some of these machines in ridiculous locations. Let's

hope they do some real jail time not the usual 2-3 weeks slap on the wrist for robbing a foreigner.

[egg6447]

how do you withdraw 40k out of a atm. 20k each maybe, but one of them pockets it.mmmmmmmmmmm