Police confirm arrest of Phuket armed bank robber, say he’s a navy SEAL

[webfact]

Police confirm arrest of Phuket armed bank robber, say he’s a navy SEAL
The Phuket News


Petty Officer Sahapracha Chadawong seen here making his getaway on his red Honda Wave.

PHUKET: -- The Royal Thai Police have released a statement to confirm that the man arrested yesterday evening (Feb 2) is the man who carried out the armed robbery at the Krungthai Bank on Sakdidet Rd last Friday (Feb 26).

They has also stated that the man, named as 29-year-old Sahapracha Chadawong, is a Petty Officer from the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command based in Cape Panwa.

Royal Thai Police ordered an investigation soon after hearing about the armed robbery, where Sahapracha managed to get away with B470,760 in cash, to ensure the safety of local residents and tourists.

It was reported at the time that the robber had fired a warning shot outside of the bank before speeding away on a motorbike.

The statement states that Wichit Police and an investigation team from Region 8 Provincial Police managed to find CCTV footage which led to the arrest of Petty Officer Sahapracha.

Full story: http://www.thephuketnews.com/police-confirm-arrest-of-phuket-armed-bank-robber-say-he-a-navy-seal-56452.php


-- Phuket News 2016-03-04

[NongKhaiKid]

Shouldn't this read a Navy STEAL ? ?

[noitom]

Using the term "navy Seal" in a headline to characterize some Thai navy guy is misleading journalism. There is only one brand of Navy Seal and that is the US Navy Seals. Hijacking their name and brand tro attempt to create sensational headlines is a disgrace.

[canuckamuck]

I was unaware the Thai navy kept seals.

[Tywais]

Using the term "navy Seal" in a headline to characterize some Thai navy guy is misleading journalism. There is only one brand of Navy Seal and that is the US Navy Seals. Hijacking their name and brand tro attempt to create sensational headlines is a disgrace.

The headline is not misleading and is accurate and have been an active unit since 1956 - Royal Thai Navy SEALs

[sgtsabai]

Tywais, I was well aware of Royal Thai Navy SEALS, but the article doesn't say that. Yes, once one reads the article it becomes clear, but that should have been made clear in the "headline" and I wonder why it wasn't. There are also Thai Marines, Thai Army, Thai Air Force. As an USMC Sgt Vietnam 1966/67 and father of a former US Navy SEAL I take exception to the way the article was presented. Then again "This is Thailand", right?

[prestburypark]

Gotta love the Honda Wave getaway bike, sheer gangster.

[masuk]

Gotta love the Honda Wave getaway bike, sheer gangster.

he could at least have carried a violin case. gives da getway a bit of class.

[razer]

Using the term "navy Seal" in a headline to characterize some Thai navy guy is misleading journalism. There is only one brand of Navy Seal and that is the US Navy Seals. Hijacking their name and brand tro attempt to create sensational headlines is a disgrace.

The headline is not misleading and is accurate and have been an active unit since 1956 - Royal Thai Navy SEALs

Well ... Thailand is known to rip-off copies of just about everything ... medals, ribbons, badges and wings are as common as jelly beans in a candy store.

[razer]

Using the term "navy Seal" in a headline to characterize some Thai navy guy is misleading journalism. There is only one brand of Navy Seal and that is the US Navy Seals. Hijacking their name and brand tro attempt to create sensational headlines is a disgrace.

The headline is not misleading and is accurate and have been an active unit since 1956 - Royal Thai Navy SEALs

Well ... Thailand is known to rip-off copies of just about everything ... medals, ribbons, badges and wings are as common as jelly beans in a candy store.

The US Navy SEALS did not exist in 1954 or1956 ... In 1954 and 1956 it was called UDT or Underwater Demolition Team in spite of what Wikipidia says. UDT morphed into the SEALS in the 1960s. There is a serious sc**w-up with information if the Thai "SEALS" were reportedly formed in 1954 unless the US Navy SEALS copied the Thai Navy SEALS.

Anybody can write an entry in Wikipedia. I can't reason why a very poor, undeveloped country in 1954 would want or need, much less afford, special military units like SEALS. Training is very expensive.

[The Deerhunter]

Using the term "navy Seal" in a headline to characterize some Thai navy guy is misleading journalism. There is only one brand of Navy Seal and that is the US Navy Seals. Hijacking their name and brand tro attempt to create sensational headlines is a disgrace.

The headline is not misleading and is accurate and have been an active unit since 1956 - Royal Thai Navy SEALs

Well ... Thailand is known to rip-off copies of just about everything ... medals, ribbons, badges and wings are as common as jelly beans in a candy store.

The US Navy SEALS did not exist in 1954 or1956 ... In 1954 and 1956 it was called UDT or Underwater Demolition Team in spite of what Wikipidia says. UDT morphed into the SEALS in the 1960s. There is a serious sc**w-up with information if the Thai "SEALS" were reportedly formed in 1954 unless the US Navy SEALS copied the Thai Navy SEALS.

Anybody can write an entry in Wikipedia. I can't reason why a very poor, undeveloped country in 1954 would want or need, much less afford, special military units like SEALS. Training is very expensive.

This gets curiouser & curiouser

[Dumbastheycome]

Tywais, I was well aware of Royal Thai Navy SEALS, but the article doesn't say that. Yes, once one reads the article it becomes clear, but that should have been made clear in the "headline" and I wonder why it wasn't. There are also Thai Marines, Thai Army, Thai Air Force. As an USMC Sgt Vietnam 1966/67 and father of a former US Navy SEAL I take exception to the way the article was presented. Then again "This is Thailand", right?

Dang ! Shouda got that copyright on SEAL huh !

[Lopchan]

Using the term "navy Seal" in a headline to characterize some Thai navy guy is misleading journalism. There is only one brand of Navy Seal and that is the US Navy Seals. Hijacking their name and brand tro attempt to create sensational headlines is a disgrace.

The headline is not misleading and is accurate and have been an active unit since 1956 - Royal Thai Navy SEALs

Ah yes, but we all know 'murriga are the ONLY armed force of note in the world,,,,,,

[khaowong1]

Gotta love the Honda Wave getaway bike, sheer gangster.

Only in Thailand.

[khaowong1]

Using the term "navy Seal" in a headline to characterize some Thai navy guy is misleading journalism. There is only one brand of Navy Seal and that is the US Navy Seals. Hijacking their name and brand tro attempt to create sensational headlines is a disgrace.

The headline is not misleading and is accurate and have been an active unit since 1956 - Royal Thai Navy SEALs

Well ... Thailand is known to rip-off copies of just about everything ... medals, ribbons, badges and wings are as common as jelly beans in a candy store.

The US Navy SEALS did not exist in 1954 or1956 ... In 1954 and 1956 it was called UDT or Underwater Demolition Team in spite of what Wikipidia says. UDT morphed into the SEALS in the 1960s. There is a serious sc**w-up with information if the Thai "SEALS" were reportedly formed in 1954 unless the US Navy SEALS copied the Thai Navy SEALS.

Anybody can write an entry in Wikipedia. I can't reason why a very poor, undeveloped country in 1954 would want or need, much less afford, special military units like SEALS. Training is very expensive.

That is correct.. John F. Kennedy was instrumental in developing the US Navy Seals. I was stationed at Camp Pendleton in 1960 and some Navy Chiefs came through there looking for volunteers for a new special forces unit called, Seals.

[The Deerhunter]

The Thai military forces were very much influenced in copying the US back then. The Wiki date might be correct, "SORT-OF"

How about that the unit was kicked off then but may have been called something else like "Marine Commandos" or even "UDT" like the US unit was? Then, with editorial license they back-date the "SEALS name to the unit's inception date, not the date it was change to SEALS.

We are of course dealing with the "world hub of editorial license."

[joebrown]

Using the term "navy Seal" in a headline to characterize some Thai navy guy is misleading journalism. There is only one brand of Navy Seal and that is the US Navy Seals. Hijacking their name and brand tro attempt to create sensational headlines is a disgrace.

The headline is not misleading and is accurate and have been an active unit since 1956 - Royal Thai Navy SEALs

Well ... Thailand is known to rip-off copies of just about everything ... medals, ribbons, badges and wings are as common as jelly beans in a candy store.

The US Navy SEALS did not exist in 1954 or1956 ... In 1954 and 1956 it was called UDT or Underwater Demolition Team in spite of what Wikipidia says. UDT morphed into the SEALS in the 1960s. There is a serious sc**w-up with information if the Thai "SEALS" were reportedly formed in 1954 unless the US Navy SEALS copied the Thai Navy SEALS.

Anybody can write an entry in Wikipedia. I can't reason why a very poor, undeveloped country in 1954 would want or need, much less afford, special military units like SEALS. Training is very expensive.

Referring to the last sentence of your post......Thailand has maintained a Naval Submariner Division of nearly 100 officers in Sattahip for many years, but has never owned any submarines. Maybe that goes some way towards helping with your reasoning?

[noitom]

Using the term "navy Seal" in a headline to characterize some Thai navy guy is misleading journalism. There is only one brand of Navy Seal and that is the US Navy Seals. Hijacking their name and brand tro attempt to create sensational headlines is a disgrace.

The headline is not misleading and is accurate and have been an active unit since 1956 - Royal Thai Navy SEALs

The headline then should make that distinction that it was The Royal Thai Navy seal unit. By the way, The Royal Thai Navy only has a unit "colloquially" referred to as "Navy seals," but it is NOT an "acronym" like the US Navy SEALS, and certainly is not a brand as such with special meaning. Informed readers know that the Thai press was attempting here to sensationalize the story with the headline so that readers may "infer" that it was a US Navy SEAL. The Thai press should not have used caps as in "SEAL" the acronym and they should be ashamed for attempting to hijack the SEAL name, brand and character.