Thief says he needed money for sick son
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- A man caught stealing an air-conditioning compressor from a bus in Phuket Town yesterday morning told police that he needed money to pay for medical treatment for his son.

Chaiwut Kongkhaoriab, 28, was caught in the act by mechanics at the garage where the bus was parked.

Pramoun Jitpakdee, one of the mechanics, said he was fixing the bus when he noticed Mr Chaiwut riding a motorbike around in front of the garage.

Mr Pramoun’s suspicions were aroused, and he and a colleague decided to hide and find out what Mr Chaiwut would do.

“He parked his bike, walked to the storage room and tried to steal the air conditioning compressor from the bus. When we saw this, we both ran out of our hiding place and caught him,” said Mr Pramoun.

Mr Chaiwut told the police he desperately needed money to cover the medical costs of his sick son.

“He told us he had been out of work for more than a month,” said Witarn Iadnimit of Phuket City Police.

“He said he didn’t have enough money to take his son to the doctor, so he decided to steal the air-conditioning compressor and sell it to get cash,” he said.

“We are continuing to establish all the facts of the case,” he added.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Thief-says-he-needed-money-for-sick-son-22237.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-09-13

Why did he not sell his bike?

Why did he not sell his bike?

He stole that one to

If he is telling the truth I hope the courts are sympathetic and give him a chance to make things right,

When then get caught that's usually what they say.

=> BULLSH**T!!!!!

If he is telling the truth I hope the courts are sympathetic and give him a chance to make things right,

You would hope, but most likely, he is a career criminal, yaba addict, lazy and no count. Sad but true. The culture propagates this.

awww... stealing for a good cause... heck, why didn't i think of that?

I wonder if he hadn't been caught would he have voluntarily gone to the police and said "I'm terribly sorry but i've just kamoyed an a/c unit coz i wanted to knock it out to pay for treatment for my sick son''.

The crime wasn't in the thieving of the a/c unit,the crime was getting caught.It doesn't matter whether or not it's 3 in the morning,there's always a Thai see's or hears something,it's just their nosyness you see.They're the equivalent of the good old British curtain twitcher.

Well, the cops are trying to verify ALL the facts, will the child welfare people also ensure the boy gets medical attention if he needs it??

Yeah well, I know they are poor but surely someone will make sure the boy is looked after??

Oh what, the country cannot afford to look after the poor?? Well, there is your answer.

"Mr Pramoun’s suspicions were aroused" - WOW! Seeing a guy on a motorbike and he got aroused. Whatever next?

If he is telling the truth I hope the courts are sympathetic and give him a chance to make things right,

You would hope, but most likely, he is a career criminal, yaba addict, lazy and no count. Sad but true. The culture propagates this.

"The culture propagates this."

Apparently the culture that produced you propagates, or at least promotes, vacuity.

I would have thought that his son has the right to the much vaunted 30 baht hospital coverage. It must have cost the father that much in fuel to get there.

Why did he not sell his bike?

Can't sell something that you financed.

When then get caught that's usually what they say.

=> BULLSH**T!!!!!

Heartless

If personal need is going to serve as justification for crime, we might as well just abandon quaint concepts like personal safety, property, responsibility, law & order and begin embracing concepts like chaos, pervasive violence, and a whole new "normal" of corruption.

Crimes against persons & property must simply be a line one does not cross. And yes, many of us have been there and did not even consider crossing it.