Chinese tour bus driver arrested in Phuket for theft

Eakkapop Thongtub

Chinese tour bus driver arrested in Phuket for theft

PHUKET: A Krabi man employed as a bus driver for a major Chinese tour agency in Phuket was arrested at his Rassada home yesterday evening after police found him in possession of stolen items and cash belonging to Chinese tourists.

Mr Konoksak Promdaeng, 21, yesterday morning picked up a group of Chinese tourists – members of a famous news agency in Beijing – from their hotel in Thalang's Pak klok sub-district, dropping the group off at the boat pier in Rassada for an afternoon outing at sea.

Prior to leaving on the boat, the Chinese tourists entrusted their bags containing their valuables with Mr Konoksak, who secured them in the baggage compartment on the bottom of the bus.

Upon returning to their hotel late in the afternoon, several of the tourists noticed that valuables they had put in their bags were missing, and proceded to file a report at Thalang Police Station at around 5:30pm.

Wasting no time to investigate, police proceded to search the bus, which was now parked in the area of the OrBorJor Hospital in Rassada, and was manned by Mr Konaksak. But police found nothing, and proceded to search Mr Kanoksak's Rassada home, where they found the stolen items – 700 Yuan in cash, gold rings, i-phones and mobile phones of various other brands.

The investigation was wrapped up by about 9pm.

Mr Konoksak finally admitted that he had stolen the items, and confessed that it wasn't the first time. He told police that he stole from tourists regularly to pay for drugs because his monthly salary wasn't enough to support his habbit.

Mr Konoksak is in custody and has been charged.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/chinese-tour-bus-driver-arrested-in-phuket-for-theft-46729.php

-- Phuket News 2014-06-08

Oh my, habitual theft, on drugs while he's driving, blatantly stealing from mulitple tourists at once, Krabi's finest!

He doesn't look very Chinese to me.

(deliberate headline misdirection..... again)

He doesn't look very Chinese to me.

(deliberate headline misdirection..... again)

Maybe it was a Chinese bus?

Oh my, habitual theft, on drugs while he's driving, blatantly stealing from mulitple tourists at once, Krabi's finest!

I might have missed it, but where did it say he was on drugs while driving?

Junkie scum!

Greedy bar steward, going a solo! What happened to the tradition of hiring a midget accomplice?

Oh my, habitual theft, on drugs while he's driving, blatantly stealing from mulitple tourists at once, Krabi's finest!

I might have missed it, but where did it say he was on drugs while driving?

That's just a "given" didn't you know?

Two requirements for bus driving here;

1) be on Yaa-baa

2) be an ex-convict

Just another quality employee working in the tourism industry on Phuket.

This headline seems to have deviated from the usual formula and should read....

Thai tour bus driver arrested in Phuket for theft

Is he the new face for tourism, The guy must be an idiot. I suspect he thought he would never be caught.

Another one bites the dust.

Note to Gen. Prayut: Maybe the criteria for Bus, Truck & Mini-Bus Drivers should include a list-to-comply-with, such as:

1. Regular compulsory Drug/Alcohol testing (either Random and/or Scheduled)

2. Criminal Back-Ground Check

3. Driver's License Check

Very poor title...how about Krabi man.....

Any wonder why there are so many bus accidents?????

Okay Gov regulators and officials, get your sh*t together!

Create and enforce proper standards in the name of public safety....

Yeah right...

CB

He never heard of find my iPhone ?

Interesting that the victims of this crime actually have significant sway in being able to cause serious detriment to the tourist industry in Thailand. The hapless criminal would be hard pressed to find any victims more able to damage the tourism sector by reporting their experience across China. In light of the economic situation and the poorly performing tourism industry here, I guess this guy painted a large target on his forehead. Karma is great.

Wrong people to steal from for starters, "members of a famous news agency in Beijing!" Next, a drug addict for a bus driver, sounds exciting, on those mountain roads !

Wonder how long this has been going on, and how much this addict has skimmed off of who knows how many? This is the perfect micro example of the collateral damage from the world wide "lost war on drugs"

Happy Healthy Trails
Doc Blake

PS

Time to grow-up and handle victimless drug use the same way we do alcohol and should medical addictive drugs! Say, ever wonder how many prescribed addicts and their pusher MD's are reading Thai Visa?

It's the employer's fault for not paying enough salary, so that the poor man can support his drug habit.