Toes lead to arrest of Thai train thief

Bangkok - Thai police have arrested a suspected thief who left his toes at the scene of the crime, media reports said on Tuesday.

Atthapol Maenkrathok, 42, was arrested at the weekend at a hospital in Uttaradit province where he was being treated for a severed foot.

Police said Atthapol was charged with robbing a woman of her cash and a $1,000 gold necklace on the overnight train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok on April 7, the Bangkok Post reported.

Investigators linked Atthapol to the theft after finding his bag of tools on the train, including an identification card, and five of his severed toes on the train track in Uttaradit, 380km north of Bangkok.

Atthapol told police he had snagged his foot under the wheels while jumping off the train in Uttaradit. He sought treatment at a nearby hospital, where the police tracked him down after finding his telltale toes.

Atthapol is under investigation for involvement in 18 other reported thefts on overnight trains after police found 20 cellphones, eight cameras, nine watches and 52 amulets at his home.

- DPA / 2009-04-21

Police hot on heels of toeless train theft suspect

An alleged petty thief has been nabbed after leaving an unusual calling card - five of his severed toes.

While some thieves leave fingerprints, police said Atthapol Maenkrathok, 42, left his toes after his foot was snagged as he leapt from a train after robbing a woman.

Mr Atthapol, a native of Nakhon Ratchasima, was arrested on Saturday at Uttaradit Hospital where he was being treated for a foot injury, deputy chief of the Railway Police Chainarong Charoenchainao said.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crimes/153...n-theft-suspect

Holy crap...hope it hurt.

Many things leap to mind but "som nam na" is in the forefront.

Som Nam Na na!

Well it could have cost him an arm and a leg!

Phew, that was easy.

From the thread title I thought someone was stealing trains and selling them to Malaysia.

Train thief! What next?

..and this little piggy went 'wee wee wee wee' all the way to jail!!!

Som nam naa you w*nker!!

..and this little piggy went 'wee wee wee wee' all the way to jail!!!

Som nam naa you w*nker!!

Haha, just got an image of a nice story telling uncle beginning the story with a kind voice and going 'and this little pinky WAS CRUSHED UNDER A TRAIN' and all the kids huddle up in one corner in fear...

Police hot on heels of toeless train theft suspect

An alleged petty thief has been nabbed after leaving an unusual calling card - five of his severed toes.

While some thieves leave fingerprints, police said Atthapol Maenkrathok, 42, left his toes after his foot was snagged as he leapt from a train after robbing a woman.

Mr Atthapol, a native of Nakhon Ratchasima, was arrested on Saturday at Uttaradit Hospital where he was being treated for a foot injury, deputy chief of the Railway Police Chainarong Charoenchainao said.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crimes/153...n-theft-suspect

He will have to learn to be "Hot on his heels " now.

Gives a whole new meaning to 'having it away on yer toes'.

Sharia law punishment finally comes to Thailand..........

Som Nam Na na!

Sound familiar. Not sure which forum I saw this expression?

Som Nam Na.

And Hang Ten becomes Hang Five...

No more tulip fields for him !

Poor bugger, he "toed the line" and still got caught!

This reminded me of Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb...

A sting in the tail for suspect with no toes

Police are on the right track to combat train theft

Railway police operations rarely get a mention but the bizarre case of a toeless thief and a cunning sting operation has thrust them into the limelight.

Railway Police Chief Surapong Siripakdee was fed up with the countless reports of thefts on Northeast-bound overnight trains between January and April this year, but his officers were baffled as to how to catch the culprits.

But an undercover operation and a stroke of luck has resulted in the capture of suspect Atthapol Maenkrathok, 42, who police say is a brazen and very clever thief. Clever to a point. Police said when he fled the scene of his latest theft, he left some startling and damning evidence: tools, an identification card - and his toes.

Continued:

-- Bangkok Post 2009-05-04

Atthapol is under investigation for involvement in 18 other reported thefts on overnight trains after police found 20 cellphones, eight cameras, nine watches and 52 amulets at his home.

Atthapol should have stayed at home polishing the "lucky" amulets.

Not exactly the most professional thief, did not know how to get rid of the evidence.