Foreigners Suspected For Bangkok 12 Million Baht Mega Heist

[webfact]

Phuket car used in mega-heist; foreigners suspected

PHUKET: -- Police say a Toyota sedan owned by a Phuket person is believed to have been the vehicle used by the robbers in Friday's 12-million baht robbery. The heist occurred outside the Krung Thai Bank headquarters in Bangkok.

The car is said to have been a rental vehicle managed by a Phuket car rental company.

The Bangkok Post reports that police have identified two suspects, both foreigners, and that an investigation unit will travel to Phuket to talk to the car owner. The suspects are believed to be professional thieves working for a gang.

In the robbery, Wirat Panyapluattichote of Thaimart Store was at the bank depositing money owned by Thaimart when 12 million baht was stolen from his car.

He had picked up bags containing 25 million baht from an exchange currency trader and went to the bank to deposit it.

The cash was divided into bags containing 5 million, 8 million, and 12 million baht.

Mr Wirat carried the bag with 5 million baht into the bank. When he returned he found that a window of his vehicle had been broken and the bag containing 12 million baht was missing.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-06-07

[TAWP]

'Foreigners' doesn't say much...give us any hint, so we know what to look out for?

[negreanu]

Why would u leave 12million THB in your car.....mind boggling. Stupidity award goes too...... ... Khun Wirat congratulations!

Edited June 7, 2010 by negreanu

[Boater]

'Foreigners' doesn't say much...give us any hint, so we know what to look out for?

agree, western foreigners ? .......

[anothertorres]

left that kinda cash in the car? riiiight... dude is most certainly in on the heist.

[sucher]

Insider Job?

[Portlandstone]

From what I understand, the term foreigner is used whenever a non-white, such as from India or Pakistan, does something, this protects their cultural identity and groups in the rest of us with them.  

Whenever a White does something, terms like "Australian" or "Brit" and so on are used, thus protecting the others and pointing the finger directly.  The only thing I can't figure out is if this is done directly, or is more of a subconscious indicator of the writers' and poster's sentiments.

I guess we will eventually find out, but reading the local media on here is like playing a game of trivia.

[angiud]

12 milions Baht in the car....

[crazyswede]

Maby there´s a market for a value transport company in Los?

[kevinbkk]

Don't forget, he did not carry only 12 Million is his private car, but 25 Million. How stupid he is to carry such an amount of money and leave it alone in his car?

Beside that, it's quite strange that someone break into his car when he arrived at the bank. Sounds to me like they know about this money transport...

Edited June 7, 2010 by kevinbkk

[x5david]

left that kinda cash in the car? riiiight... dude is most certainly in on the heist.

Sounds likely to me too, why take the smallest amount in first and leave the rest.....

[quiksilva]

A good case study for firms like Brinks...

[dean999]

Phuket car used in mega-heist; foreigners suspected

PHUKET: -- Police say a Toyota sedan owned by a Phuket person is believed to have been the vehicle used by the robbers in Friday's 12-million baht robbery. The heist occurred outside the Krung Thai Bank headquarters in Bangkok.

The car is said to have been a rental vehicle managed by a Phuket car rental company.

The Bangkok Post reports that police have identified two suspects, both foreigners, and that an investigation unit will travel to Phuket to talk to the car owner. The suspects are believed to be professional thieves working for a gang.

In the robbery, Wirat Panyapluattichote of Thaimart Store was at the bank depositing money owned by Thaimart when 12 million baht was stolen from his car.

He had picked up bags containing 25 million baht from an exchange currency trader and went to the bank to deposit it.

The cash was divided into bags containing 5 million, 8 million, and 12 million baht.

Mr Wirat carried the bag with 5 million baht into the bank. When he returned he found that a window of his vehicle had been broken and the bag containing 12 million baht was missing.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-06-07

Funny how he took the lowest amount of money in the bank first. I would of gone for the 12 million first.

[kevinbkk]

The 12 Million baht bag was to heavy I guess :-)

[gcrepos]

The 12 Million baht bag was to heavy I guess :-)

If you know your going to help with the heavy bag its wise to leave until last

[webfact]

UPDATE

Phuket man denies role in BKK heist

PHUKET: The owner of a car rental company in Rawai has presented himself to Metropolitan Police in Bangkok, saying he had no role in the 12-million-baht robbery outside a bank in downtown Bangkok on Friday.

Soon after learning that one of his vehicles had been used in the heist, 44-four-year-old Wichian Choochum of Rawai Village 1 turned himself in to Metropolitan Police Division 5 Commander Anuchai Lekbamroong in Bangkok.

Mr Wichian confessed to owning the Toyota sedan used to carry out the heist, through his company, Phuket Palm Travel and Tour.

He presented evidence including the company’s 2008-issued registration papers as well as a fake Spanish passport used by the suspects to rent the vehicle.

Mr Wichian said he rented out the car through an agent for a weekly fee of 7,500 baht.

The agent, on May 4, delivered the vehicle to a foreign man staying at the Lamai Hotel near Jungceylon on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong, he said.

Mr Wichian said he never met the man face-to-face, but had spoken over the phone to confirm receipt of weekly 7,500 baht payments into his account from locations in Bangkok and Pattaya.

His only other communication with the man was by instant messaging, he said.

However, members of his staff who met the man have positively identified him as the same person who appeared in CCTV images taken near the scene of the crime.

Mr Wichian said he was shocked when he heard about the bank robbery via a text message.

Police are speeding up the investigation, gathering physical evidence and questioning witnesses in order to get arrest warrants for the responsible parties.

Police suspect members of a Colombian gang to be responsible, Bangkok-based media have reported.

Investigators will review old case files in search of other cases the gang might have been involved with. Nevertheless, they feel they already have enough evidence to arrest the suspects and bring them to justice, Gen Anuchai said.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-06-07

[Thai at Heart]

Hardly the great train robbery. Mega Heist. I know the baht is strong, but.........

"Idiot employee leaves money bags unattended in car" would be a better headline

[frankman]

He let the BIB know where and when and share 50-50...  good job, nobody hurt, money insured...   so a few will have a good party... 

[Val]

Why would u leave 12million THB in your car.....mind boggling. Stupidity award goes too...... ... Khun Wirat congratulations!

THE MIND BOGGLES... 25 MILLION BAHT IN THE BACK OF A CAR ????

[Jimi007]

Why would u leave 12million THB in your car.....mind boggling. Stupidity award goes too...... ... Khun Wirat congratulations!

Agreed! He has three bags of cash; 12 million, 8 million and 5 million? Hum, 25 million Baht. The article then states he took the 5 million Baht bag into the bank, leaving the 12 million in the car. What happened to the 8 million bag? No further mention that I noticed. I am missing something? But why would anyone leave the largest amount in the car in the first place, unless he knew something. Many details are left out as usual in this "news report." And why a Phuket rental car in Bangkok? Something is definitely missing in this report!

PS: it should be; to not too.

Edited June 7, 2010 by Jimi007

[mazeltov]

From what I understand, the term foreigner is used whenever a non-white, such as from India or Pakistan, does something, this protects their cultural identity and groups in the rest of us with them.  

Whenever a White does something, terms like "Australian" or "Brit" and so on are used, thus protecting the others and pointing the finger directly.  The only thing I can't figure out is if this is done directly, or is more of a subconscious indicator of the writers' and poster's sentiments.

I guess we will eventually find out, but reading the local media on here is like playing a game of trivia.

BS and cognitive bias.

[Jimi007]

From what I understand, the term foreigner is used whenever a non-white, such as from India or Pakistan, does something, this protects their cultural identity and groups in the rest of us with them.

Whenever a White does something, terms like "Australian" or "Brit" and so on are used, thus protecting the others and pointing the finger directly. The only thing I can't figure out is if this is done directly, or is more of a subconscious indicator of the writers' and poster's sentiments.

I guess we will eventually find out, but reading the local media on here is like playing a game of trivia.

BS and cognitive bias.

Another helpful and insightful post... Amazing as usual!

[mazeltov]

this page have some photos how one million dollar in 100 dollar bills might look like:

How Much is Inside a Million Dollars?

[Jimi007]

this page have some photos how one million dollar in 100 dollar bills might look like:

How Much is Inside a Million Dollars?

Again, what does this have to do with this thread? 1 million dollars is over 32 million baht. The baht has 1,000 notes and have dollars $100 notes... Still amazing... Why bother? I guess math isn't your strong point, but then again what is?

Edited June 7, 2010 by Jimi007

[webfact]

Warrants issued for foreigners in Bt12 million heist

BANGKOK (TNA) -- Thailand’s Criminal Court on Monday approved arrest warrants for two foreigners who smashed a car window in Bt12 million heist in front of Krung Thai Bank headquarters in Nana on Sukhumvit Road on June 4.

Metropolitan police chief Santan Chayanont said that 40-year-old Antonio Raul Gomez, a Spanish national, and his unidentified foreign accomplice were charged with stealing money by damaging personal assets and committing criminal offences.

Following the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras’ footage in Nana area on June 4, the two culprits hit the pickup’s window and removed Bt12 million (over US$360,000) cash in the vehicle, parked in front of the Krung Thai Bank headquarters.

The pick-up truck belongs to Wirat Panyapluattichote, 44-year-old executive of Thaimart Store.

Pol Lt-Gen Santan added that the footage of CCTV cameras and bank surveillance cameras recorded that Mr Gomez followed Mr Wirat to a money exchange centre in the Pratunam area on Ratchadamri Road.

Another recording captured when the suspect drove a Toyota VIOS sedan with a licence plate registered in Patthalung province, following Mr Wirat to Krung Thai Bank headquarters.

The Toyata sedan is owned by Phuket resident Wichien Chooshoop. Mr Wichien said that the suspect group has rented his car since May 4, denying that he was involved in the crime.

The initial investigation found that the two foreign perpetrators’ heist was similar to the Colombian robbery gang’s scheme.

Police said the Colombian gang counterfeited passports to enter Thailand before committing crimes such as stealing accessories from jewellery shops, breaking safe boxes from houses of the rich and robbing assets by smashing car windows.

The police also reported that the gang does not settle in specific zones but travels to tourist-attracts cities such as Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya, Hat Yai and Bangkok, aiming to committing crimes.

The group generally rents a car to tour the cities and hires Thai women to lure the victims.

Currently police compared photos of the two foreigners in their passports with images of suspects who were detained previously.

The officials believed that the duo remains in Thailand.

Earlier, Mr Wirat, the victim of the robbery at Krung Thai Bank, coordinated with the police to offer Bt2 million reward for persons who can provide tips related to the robbery. (TNA)

-- TNA 2010-06-07

[Lumumba]

this page have some photos how one million dollar in 100 dollar bills might look like:

How Much is Inside a Million Dollars?

Again, what does this have to do with this thread? 1 million dollars is over 32 million baht. The baht has 1,000 notes and have dollars $100 notes... Still amazing... Why bother? I guess math isn't your strong point, but then again what is?

When my gf passed out at a bar I threw her over my shoulder and headed for the exit, and she weighs 57kg,

How much do you thing B25m could weigh?

Why get thai baht from currency exchange booth?

Why let khun W on a B25000 per month haul B25 M in a B500000 datsun truck alone?

For those saying the money was insured, I doubt it as its the firms employee that was on his own doing errands.

[Heng]

Not exactly mega, but congrats!

Hopefully they'll be able to retire to white collar crime where no one tries to shoot at you.

[mazeltov]

this page have some photos how one million dollar in 100 dollar bills might look like:

How Much is Inside a Million Dollars?

Again, what does this have to do with this thread? 1 million dollars is over 32 million baht. The baht has 1,000 notes and have dollars $100 notes... Still amazing... Why bother? I guess math isn't your strong point, but then again what is?

just to get the picture what kind of bag you would need to carry one million in cash in bills to 100.

10 million baht in 1000 baht bills will not look that much different. you will need a bag of similar size.

and who knows if it had been all 1000 baht bills.

i thought it will be self-explanatory, but i forget how smart some board members are.

Edited June 7, 2010 by mazeltov

[Jimi007]

this page have some photos how one million dollar in 100 dollar bills might look like:

How Much is Inside a Million Dollars?

Again, what does this have to do with this thread? 1 million dollars is over 32 million baht. The baht has 1,000 notes and have dollars $100 notes... Still amazing... Why bother? I guess math isn't your strong point, but then again what is?

just to get the picture what kind of bag you would need to carry one million in cash in bills to 100.

10 million baht in 1000 baht bills will not look that much different. you will need a bag of similar size.

and who knows if it had been all 1000 baht bills.

i thought it will be self-explanatory, but i forget how smart some board members are.

Okay point taken... $1,000,000 / 100=10,000. 12,000,000 / 1,000= 12,000. Plus, Thai 1,000 baht notes are larger than $100 notes. So actually one would need a larger bag.

Edited June 7, 2010 by Jimi007

[x5david]

Hardly the great train robbery. Mega Heist. I know the baht is strong, but.........

"Idiot employee leaves money bags unattended in car" would be a better headline

Agree completely obviously the guy was involved. Who has three bags of money each with 5MM, 8MM and 12MM and takes the smallest one into the bank first while leaving the larger ones in the car? Does not make sense.