Two arrested for Phuket pharmacy robberies
Nattapat Tuarob


The duo look less than dynamic as Gen Patchara examines their gun, a replica.

PHUKET: -- Police caught two robbers today (January 26) just hours after they robbed a pharmacy in Patong at gunpoint in the early hours of the morning.

Kathu Police had received a report that the two men had carried out the robbery at the JK Healthcare pharmacy at around 4:30am.

Pharmacy owner Sangdao Phusangkam told officers that the two men had pulled up outside her shop on a Yamaha Mio 125 KTX motorcycle. One was wearing a grey T-shirt, jeans and blue flip-flops, the other a lime-green football shirt, shorts and red flip-flops.

The man in the T-shirt entered the pharmacy holding a gun and demanded money. Ms Sangdao handed over B12,220 in cash.

After checking CCTV footage from inside the shop, police found that the video matched Ms Sangdao's account of events and the faces and clothing of the duo could be clearly seen.

By 5am, after descriptions of the two had been issued to all officers, the two men, Hassadin Arh-Onsri, 26, from Phang-Nga and Jessda Petchkaew, 24, from Nakorn Sri Thammarat, were spotted sitting in front of a rented room in Pisitkoranee Rd, and were arrested.

Police also seized the gun, which turned out to be a harmless replica.

During questioning by police, the two admitted to robbing JK Healthcare.

They also admitted that around 2.30pm yesterday (January 25), they had attempted to rob the Bangla Pharmacy in Bangla Rd.

In that case they were unable to get away with anything as the owner, Kanittha Noonak, pushed the gun away from herself and screamed for help.

They added that these were their first two robberies, and that they had committed them because they were angry that the prices charged in these pharmacies were "too expensive".

But further investigation by police revealed that one of the robbers was the boyfriend of a woman who had worked at both pharmacies and had been fired from both after being caught with her fingers in the till.

The police are now also looking into these allegations as a separate case.

Provincial Commander Pol Maj Gen Patchara Boonyasit, at a press conference to introduce the bad boys later this morning, said, “The reason that we are having this press conference about these minor arrests is that I want to ensure that every criminal, whether big or small, understands that we will take them off the streets.

“So criminals must change their minds before they commit crimes,” he said.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/two-arrested-for-phuket-pharmacy-robberies-50748.php


-- Phuket News 2015-01-27

They did not even have the brains to change their shirts.

Pol Maj Gen Patchara said at the press conference:

“The reason that we are having this press conference about these minor arrests..."

When did armed robbery become a "minor" crime? In the U.S. the first time offender will be looking at 8-12 years for armed robbery with a gun (and yes, toy guns count).

Yep the person its being pointed at doesnt know its a toy and a police officer would be justified in firing on someone confronting him with such. Penalty should be the same.

Pol Maj Gen Patchara said at the press conference:

“The reason that we are having this press conference about these minor arrests..."

When did armed robbery become a "minor" crime? In the U.S. the first time offender will be looking at 8-12 years for armed robbery with a gun (and yes, toy guns count).

The police were probably anticipating the usual mocking that would be dished out to them from the ThaiVisa members who ridicule every arrest the police make. If certain TV members consider an offence minor they ask whether the police have nothing better to do, if it's a major arrest they ask why they took so long to make arrests or question why the media should be interested in them only doing the job they were paid to do.