Phuket Gold Shop Robber Shoots And Kills Customer

[webfact]

Phuket gold shop robber shoots and kills customer

PHUKET: -- A gold robber ransacking the CP Goldmaster gold shop next to Tesco Lotus on the bypass road tonight (April 8) at about 7 pm, callously and coolly shot a customer who tried to remonstrate with him.

WARNING! Graphic images

He then continued ransacking the shop, finally leaving with 106 bahtweight of gold jewellery estimated to be worth more than B2 million.

The customer, Pichet Chukieng, 32, died later in the nearby Phuket International Hospital of a single bullet wound to his chest.

The robber was caught on CCTV entering the shop wearing black clothing with white stripes from the shoulders and down the arms of his top, a black motorbike helmet and a surgical mask to conceal his face. He is esytimated to be about 165cm tall.

The video shows him, carrying a bag, marching behind the counter and waving it at the staff, all women, who flee. When Mr Apichart approaches, he calmly shoots him and then leans over the counter to take another shot.

It is understood that the gun misfired, but Mr Apichart was in no condition to do any more.

The gunman then continues along behind the counter, stuffing gold into his bag. He then walked out of the shop where he sent security staff diving for cover with a shot in the air, before riding off on a motorbike.

Staff later said the robber told them, “Run or I’ll shoot you.”

Police hope that witnesses may be able to give the a description of the motorbike or even its number. Forensics officers are also at the scene looking for clues.

Phuket Police Commander Maj Gen Choti Chavalviwat asked anyone with information about the robbery to contact investigators.

He said he thought the robber might be the same man who robbed the Kasikorn Bank branch in Rawai on January 7 this year, threatening staff with a gun and stealing B260,000. A reward of B100,000 was offered after that theft for information leading to the robber's capture.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-gold-shop-robber-shoots-and-kills-customer-38495.php


-- Phuket News 2013-04-09

[webfact]

Man shot dead in B2.3mn Phuket gold heist
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- A man was shot dead while trying to stop a hold-up at the C.P. Gold Master & Jewelry store at Tesco Lotus on the bypass road (map here) early this evening.

The robber made off with gold jewelry with a reported value of more than 2.32 million baht,

The shop's CCTV security cameras show the robber parked his motorbike to the right of the shop's main door. He entered the store at about 6:10pm wearing a face mask, helmet and carrying a black bag.

One of the counter staff noticed the man entering the store was carrying a gun in his right hand, and alerted the other staff that the man was a robber, eye-witnesses reported.

“The man warned everyone in the shop not to move, otherwise he would shoot,” said one eye-witness. “Then he walked behind the counter and started taking the gold.”

While the robber was stashing the jewelry into the bag, Apichet Choo-kliang, 32, approached the robber to stop him.

The robber shot Mr Apichet in his left chest and he fell to the floor.

After shooting Apichet, the robber continued putting the gold jewelry into the bag.

Satisfied he had what he came for, the robber exited the store and rode off on his motorbike parked outside.

With the robber gone, everyone in the shop rendered assistance to Mr Apichet.

He was rushed to the nearby Phuket International Hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Police are continuing to collect evidence from the scen and question witnesses in the hope they will derive a description of the robber and his getaway motorbike in order to make an arrest

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Man-shot-dead-in-B2-3mn-Phuket-gold-heist-20733.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-04-09

[retell]

hope they catch this prick

R.I.P. to the victim

[Siriam]

Cold blooded murderer, I believe is not the first time he pull the trigger against people, judging from his behavior after shooting

[eezergood]

Very sad waste of life

[Soupdragon]

Cold blooded murderer, I believe is not the first time he pull the trigger against people, judging from his behavior after shooting

That's how it appears. No panic, coolly takes aim for a couple of seconds and shoots.

[anon467367354]

this is horrible and almost surreal. no sound of a gun and the background noise just seems like business as usual. RIP good citizen

[Paangjang]

this is horrible and almost surreal. no sound of a gun and the background noise just seems like business as usual. RIP good citizen

The background noise you hear is from the police watching the video on the tv monitor, not from the shop. They have the video on mute. Hence no sound of a gun!

[LivinginKata]

Shocking cold blooded shooting. RIP the victim.

[NamKangMan]

this is horrible and almost surreal. no sound of a gun and the background noise just seems like business as usual. RIP good citizen

No muzzle flash either. Must be a low calibre - possible .22.

This guy was focussed, he even had the presence of mind for a second shot. Would not be at all surprised if he has killed before.

I hope the police catch him soon, before he takes another life.

Might be time for Phuket's gold shop owners to revise their security measures, which appear nonexistent at this shop.

RIP the victim.

Edited April 9, 2013 by NamKangMan

[webfact]

B200k reward offered for info on Phuket robbery-murder
Tanyaluk Sakoot

PHUKET: -- Police have offered a reward of B200,000 for information leading to the arrest of the gold shop robber who shot dead a customer yesterday evening (April 8) in the CP Goldmaster shop next to Tesco Lotus on the bypass road.

Pichet Chukieng, a bartender from the Novotel in Patong, was shot dead about 7pm when he went to the shop with his wife Sawika Chansawat. She was not hurt. She described her husband as an “ex-soldier who liked to help people”.

The robbery itself took just 30 seconds but staff said they had noticed a man hanging around outside the shop for about 20 minutes. When a foreigner who was in the shop left, the man walked in and pointed a semi-automatic pistol at the six staff, announcing, “This is a robbery. If you run I will shoot you.”

Mr Pichet walked over and told the robber, who was behind the counter, to calm down. The robber shot him in the chest.

The robber then went along the counter, grabbing gold necklaces and bracelets together worth around B2 million and stuffing them into a shoulder bag.

As the robber left the shop, Tesco security personnel, having heard the shot, moved in on him. But he scared them off with a shot in the air before driving away on a blue and black Honda Wave.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/b200k-reward-offered-for-info-on-phuket-robbery-murder-38503.php


-- Phuket News 2013-04-09

[JetsetBkk]

RIP K. Pichet. You didn't do anything to deserve this fate.

[zaZa9]

Im starting to understand more why Thais will avoid involvement in these sort of matters....

You did the right thing Pichet , RIP

Edited April 9, 2013 by zaZa9

[Songhua]

Terrible. A family is now missing a loved one due to the uncaring and greed of a complete stranger.

[BigSkip]

So sad a innocent Man dies........... R.I.P.

[swifty5x5]

I would tie his feet to my back bumper and go for a drive down a country road.

[tragickingdom]

A not so smart dead hero.

[tragickingdom]

I would tie his feet to my back bumper and go for a drive down a country road.

Hmm, just back from Afghanistan or Pakistan? Is water boarding also on the menu?

[NomadJoe]

Not to play the keyboard detective, but it is interesting that the guy was hanging about until the foreigner left the shop. Likely he knows that such a crime involving a foreigner will garner much more attention and police response than a Thai on Thai one.

[how241]

Cold blooded murderer, I believe is not the first time he pull the trigger against people, judging from his behavior after shooting

+1

[coconutmonkey]

Sorry, I don't think you guys are actually watching the clip.

He walks, moves, knows where to move and place equipment, and in particular SHOOTS like a police officer. That is no loose cannon. That is training according to the book, a well executed second shot to silence the opponent.

He's a cop. Watch it again.

Over and out.

[NamKangMan]

Sorry, I don't think you guys are actually watching the clip.

He walks, moves, knows where to move and place equipment, and in particular SHOOTS like a police officer. That is no loose cannon. That is training according to the book, a well executed second shot to silence the opponent.

He's a cop. Watch it again.

Over and out.

Thailand has "Military Service." Many Thai men would be proficient in the use of firearms through Army training, not just police training.

Edited April 9, 2013 by NamKangMan

[iSabai]

this is horrible and almost surreal. no sound of a gun and the background noise just seems like business as usual. RIP good citizen

No muzzle flash either. Must be a low calibre - possible .22.

This guy was focussed, he even had the presence of mind for a second shot. Would not be at all surprised if he has killed before.

I hope the police catch him soon, before he takes another life.

Might be time for Phuket's gold shop owners to revise their security measures, which appear nonexistent at this shop.

RIP the victim.

You've been watching too many movies NKM.

Even a .22 can have muzzle flash if it's a higher velocity round.

[khunJeroen]

Strange that he could get away so easily.

[khunJeroen]

Thailand is like any other high crime country. First shoot than rob. A dead man cannot resist. Same as what's happening in Jo'burg, The times that Thailand was a save country are long gone.

[fullcave]

Text book psychopath...

[risky11]

Tesco security moved in after hearing a gunshot - but ran away when he fired another shot! <deleted>? They knew he had a gun and was willing to use it. What kind of "security" is unarmed? All banks have guards with shotguns at the ready and locked doors. Why not gold shops?

[Yahooka]

Sorry, I don't think you guys are actually watching the clip.

He walks, moves, knows where to move and place equipment, and in particular SHOOTS like a police officer. That is no loose cannon. That is training according to the book, a well executed second shot to silence the opponent.

He's a cop. Watch it again.

Over and out.

That scumbag knew what he was doing,policeofficer or not.See the way he`s shooting the customer and then in a very quiet way walking towards and then bending over the counter with the gun all the time still pointed at the customer he shot to see that the target is down.....very calculated and he doesn`t rush at all.

[NamKangMan]

this is horrible and almost surreal. no sound of a gun and the background noise just seems like business as usual. RIP good citizen

No muzzle flash either. Must be a low calibre - possible .22.

This guy was focussed, he even had the presence of mind for a second shot. Would not be at all surprised if he has killed before.

I hope the police catch him soon, before he takes another life.

Might be time for Phuket's gold shop owners to revise their security measures, which appear nonexistent at this shop.

RIP the victim.

You've been watching too many movies NKM.

Even a .22 can have muzzle flash if it's a higher velocity round.

I thought about this lack of muzzle flash for a while after I posted. The pistol doesn't appear to have an extened barrel with a silencer, so, that can't be it.

It may be possible the CCTV is filming at low frames per second, but still quite watchable. The muzzle flash may have occurred in the fraction of a second between frames. Photography/video filming is not my field of expertise, it's just a thought.

LIK started a thread recently to do with CCTV - he may have more knowledge on the camera frame rates and the DVR recording.

There also did not appear to be any puff of smoke visable which would have been shown from a larger centrefire pistol, despite the low frame filming.

.22 semi-auto pistols are not that main stream. It may well be a centrefire pistol and the muzzle flash was simply not filmed.

.22 calibre is a subsonic round, but yes, I stand corrected, there are now some high velocity .22 rounds that could cause a small muzzle flash, of course, he could also have been using low velocity .22 rounds which would not cause muzzle flash, but would still have enough power to kill, especially at that short range.

As for watching too many movies, the OP is one movie I would rather no one ever "stars" in, anywhere, anytime.

[cup-O-coffee]

Why oh why do fools rush in when someone is carrying a firearm? Now all the gold in the world cannot bring him back to life.