Farang robs Pattaya exchange shop

Pattaya, Chon Buri: - An English-speaking man robbed a money exchange shop in Pattaya Sunday night and made off with Bt200,000 in Thai bank notes, police said.

The robbery against the Rachata Exchange shop on Soi 16 off Pattaya Sai Sarm road in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district prompted Pattaya police chief Pol Col Sukthat Pumphanmuang to rush to the scene with investigators. The shop is owned by Suwat Rachatawatanakul, 58, who is deputy mayor of Tambon Nongplue Municipality.

The robbery took place at 9 pm while Suwat was walking into the shop to talk to his relative he hired to take care of the business. Suwat said a man, who appeared large and tall and who wore black, walked after him and used a gun to force him into the shop.

Suwat said he could not see the man’s face as he was wearing a dark-tinted helmet.

The man pointed the gun to Suwat’s relative and speak “Sit down” in English. Suwat said the robber then emptied the drawer which had about Bt200,000 in Thai bank notes and fled.

Suwat said his sister ran after the robber and tried but failed to take the money back. The man ran out of the shop and fled on his motorcycle parked in front. Suwat did not notice the make and license plate of the motorcycle.

The Pattaya police chief said the robbery was recorded by shop’s security camera and he will have investigators launch a manhunt based on characteristics seen in the security footage.

Little over 6k US, sounds like a junkie robbing a bank teller for chump change.

Maybe the shop is insured?

The robbery against the Rachata Exchange shop on Soi 16 off Pattaya Sai Sarm road in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district prompted Pattaya police chief Pol Col Sukthat Pumphanmuang to rush to the scene with investigators. The shop is owned by Suwat Rachatawatanakul, 58, who is deputy mayor of Tambon Nongplue Municipality.

A later report stated " Had the victim been a mere mortal rather than rushing to the scene with investigators the police would have sent 2 low rank drones on a motorcycle possibly sometime before Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day 2019 that is"

Now there's a desperate man

Not a good time to be a large, tall, English speaking gentleman in Pattaya.

' Sit Down ' suggests fluency in English and should help investigators narrow the list of potential suspects.

Just a thought but if the suspect's face was covered how can anyone be sure he was a foreigner unless his arms and legs were exposed and skin colouring was evident. Mind you the victim having a gun pointed at him would probably be completely focused on that rather than eyeing the culprit up and down.

The guy was wearing a dark mask, is "large", and uttered two words of English, so he must be a farang. Top notch detective work, and even better reporting.

Rangsr???

So there are no 'large and tall' Thai men in Pattaya that know a few phrases of English language?

He have not seen his face because the robber worn a helmet but he think it was a "farang" because he spoke english?!

This type of work is a reserved occupation - Thai only. He's in BIG trouble now.

Sounds like a farang has a girlfriend with expensive taste.

I wonder if she will visit him in prison and help support him ?

Probably not.

Not a good time to be a large, tall, English speaking gentleman in Pattaya.

A lot of potential mileage for shakedowns by the BIB while ' looking for the suspect '.

No one has done it yet, so I'll do it.

Fake!

How did the bandit know the guy was the owner when he followed him in? That the owner just happened to be there when this happened, and so on.

Wanna bet that the video will be unclear, or inconclusive?

The guy was wearing a dark mask, is "large", and uttered two words of English, so he must be a farang. Top notch detective work, and even better reporting.

So if i cover my face and speak Thai would that mean i get charged the Thai rate for entrance to a national park? As i must clearly be Thai.

Shouldn't be to difficult to trace him on the city CCTV system.

He's the one wearing a helmet on his motorbike.

No one has done it yet, so I'll do it.

Fake!

How did the bandit know the guy was the owner when he followed him in? That the owner just happened to be there when this happened, and so on.

Wanna bet that the video will be unclear, or inconclusive?

Obviously the robbers girlfriend had previously worked there , either inside job or the Lone Ranger cased the joint for a wee while beforehand... or perhaps a disgruntled ex-customer..! Whatever, I hope he gets caught before he really does shoot someone.

A man of few words and a gun - rides off on steel horse - I say we start looking in Montana.

"Sit Down." Clear fluency in English as another poster already pointed out.

The guy was wearing a dark mask, is "large", and uttered two words of English, so he must be a farang. Top notch detective work, and even better reporting.

Have you spent all of the 200k yet?

Who taught the Burmese how too speak English?

Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice. I read about the Mad Hatter and the Doormouse (the owner and his relative) and the March Hare (the police chief who rushed to the Mayor's business after hours declaring "I'm late, I'm late!").

Obviously, the Cheshire Cat did it. No smile this time, just the words "Sit down" being his fading metaphoric ex-patriotic grin...

Charles Dodgson solved this crime in 1865.

Case closed.

There's no English speaking Thais in Pattaya. Especially none that know 'sit down'. Was it followed by 'you want dink?'

Where were the foreign currencies? Either the clueless robber missed them or the story is not the whole truth.

p.s. "Sit down," is part of the brainless chorus that every Prathom 3 students parrots and continues to do so for the next 15 years with little progress.

No Thai could do this.......

As the English teaching standard is so poor.

Pattaya must be a real nice place to live. It feels like every other crime story is in Pattaya. Without Pattaya Thailand would be almost crime free it would seem.

I hope none of investors in this business had some under world connections. Otherwise, poor shopkeeper will be in great trouble no matter who robbed his shop, unless it was organised by investors to recoup falling international currencies....

Pattaya must be a real nice place to live. It feels like every other crime story is in Pattaya. Without Pattaya Thailand would be almost crime free it would seem.

So true.

Given the fact that the local Plod could not find their own hats even if they were on their own heads... this story does not surprise me at all. I will not say anymore. But what does really raise an eyebrow is the fact that the police "rushed" anywhere! But that was explained as the 'victim' was the mayor (or something)!