Chiang Mai gold shop robber is down on his luck ex US serviceman

 

Picture: Sanook 

 

CHIANG MAI: -- Police in Chiang Mai have made a quick arrest of a man who stole 14 rings from a downtown gold shop.

 

Initially thought to be an "Arab" it now emerges that the robber who spent just 30 seconds in the O-eh shop in Thanin market is an ex US serviceman.

 

Adam Joseph Davis, 37, has a Thai wife and told police his business ventures had failed leading him to theft.

 

Chiang Mai police led by Thokraisri Julaphan in conjunction with Chang Pheuak officers followed a CCTV trail to the Hang Dong home of Davis who had used a Honda Click 110.

 

He was caught red handed with his bike, the gold worth 40,000 baht, and the clothes he wore in commission of the robbery that happened Monday.

 

He has admitted his involvement and is now being detained by Chang Pheuak police.

 

He told police he was in the US armed forces before coming to Thailand where he married a Thai and tried to set up a business. This failed and he ran out of money, said Sanook.

 

Source: Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-08-30

Poor bugger. Desperate act committed by a desperate man. 

Poor bugger. Desperate act committed by a desperate man. 

Sorry, no sympathy from here. He certainly wasn't the first to fail in business in this country and won't be the last.

I don't understand what being an ex-serviceman has to do with this story either; he was a thief that got caught is all.

Wow !, the police are getting a lot better,following CCTV footage right to his door.

unusual for the cameras to be working for such a long distance.and unlucky for him.

regards worgeordie

Not sure how they initially thought he was an "Arab" (which was how it was reported in the ORIGINAL news article for those that think they are smarter than everyone else).

"Saleswoman at the O-eh shop Benjaporn Janthawong, 24, said that a middle eastern looking man came into the store speaking a language she didn't know."

I'm sure the same thing happens to a lot of foreigners that come to Thailand. They get "intoxicated" with the place and try to plan for today, instead of thinking about tomorrow. Knew a guy that quit a very well paying job as a firefighter (overseas contractor) and was going to open a business in Phuket (with the woman that he'd met 3 days before the end of his first holiday in Thailand). He came back to Afghanistan after that first holiday,  did another rotation, went back to Thailand and after his last pay cheque hit the bank (and the company couldn't withhold anything) he let it be known that he'd married that girl and was going to open a Dive shop.
Needless to say, opening a Dive Shop in Phuket wasn't as easy as he'd thought it would be, his money ran out (quickly) and teerak dumped him as soon as she realized he was broke. Last we heard, he was doing odd jobs "under the table" (working unofficially) and was too embarrassed to try and get his old job back. (That was about 13 years ago now.) At least he didn't turn to crime (that we know of). More than a few take a more permanent solution of course. Being flat out broke (and alone) is bad enough. Trying to go back "home" afterwards (with no money and no future) makes it so much worse. 

I've seen a lot of people try to run businesses in Thailand, mostly of the small bar/coffee shop variety and a lot of them fail, hard. (Like they say, the way to make a small fortune in Thailand is to start with a big one !)

I've had opportunities to start (or join) in different businesses and am some glad I decided to just keep my money in the bank. If it's going to end up getting squandered and leave me with nothing to show for it, then I want to at least be the one doing the squandering.
 

People die of hunger in certain places, but they refrain from becoming criminals or thieves....

 

No sympathy and least of all, no excuses for the scum that break the law and that too at the expense of another person's hard work [or integrity].

 

In this case the chap is just a common thief and would certainly contribute to enhance the image of farangs in the country....

 

Had it been a Thai (or an african)  having  robbed a farang, it would have ignoted the brainless white supremacist thai bashers, who must be disappointed that the thief was not "arab" , as cited...

 

 The point here is that a crime is a crime, and nothing to do whether it is a US ex-military or a Thai or an Arab...

1 minute ago, observer90210 said:

 

Had it been a Thai (or an african)  having  robbed a farang, it would have ignoted the brainless white supremacist thai bashers, who must be disappointed that the thief was not "arab" , as cited...

 

 

Absolutely.  But don't worry, those guys will be back to bashing Chinese over some minor issue very soon.. 

 

Just now, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

 

Absolutely.  But don't worry, those guys will be back to bashing Chinese over some minor issue very soon.. 

 

You are so true!!...and assuming one day there will be no more victims left, they will start bashing amongst themselves and hopefully the scum will thus get extinct!

Nice T-shirt though

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Wow !, the police are getting a lot better,following CCTV footage right to his door.

unusual for the cameras to be working for such a long distance.and unlucky for him.

regards worgeordie

you missed this is not Koh Tao (sorry OT, but needs to be kept in mind)

3 hours ago, farang1979 said:

Poor bugger. Desperate act committed by a desperate man. 

Thank God the first post didn't have the well worn word "quality" in it.

    I share your sentiments ( I think).

1 hour ago, CARBO said:

Nice T-shirt though

And nice tattoo too

2 hours ago, WinnieTheKhwai said:

 

 

Absolutely.  But don't worry, those guys will be back to bashing Chinese over some minor issue very soon.. 

 

Some people just had to take the fun out of bashing on religious point of view.its 2017. We shouldn't be manipulated by the role of biased media or certain corners political aim, rather think and use our god gifted judgemental capacity. Any form of discrimination surely hurts.

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Wow !, the police are getting a lot better,following CCTV footage right to his door.

unusual for the cameras to be working for such a long distance.and unlucky for him.

regards worgeordie

There have been a few stories about foreigners getting caught with the use of several CCTV's and this case probably had to use many to catch him. The CCTV cameras seem to not work as well or are broken with many reported cases involving Thai crimes against foreigners however. 

 

He committed a crime - sometimes people get hurt or killed, accidentally or not. At what point does one stop and reflect that the dream isn't on track and head for safer waters? Desperate times call for desperate acts. It's a sad story.

Well,  looks like his Thai language skills will have a chance to improve while in the slammer.

Poor guy, Thai wife and her business idea hot him in trouble, no one got hurt, courts should go easy on him

You can return to the USA get a job, do some hard graft(work not corruption..) take the overtime, get a better job etc . Or would you take the high risk strategy of robbing a gold shop and gaining less than one months wages worth of gold, even less when you have to sell it to gain cash? All the desperadoes i have encountered will take crazy risks for little reward if it can stave of the day they have to get a job. 

       

Probably he would receive some pocket money in the jail because he has advertised for Chang Beer.

4 minutes ago, wvavin said:

Probably he would receive some pocket money in the jail because he has advertised for Chang Beer.

Isn't that illegal too? Maybe not sexy enough.

Not going to read anymore of this <deleted>, glad he got caught, next armed robbery even murder, Lock him up, deport him. Lowlife

"down on his luck"...yeah well even so, he was in a way better situation before than his is now.

 

Down on luck or not. He must go to jail for long time. 

1 hour ago, smew said:

Poor guy, Thai wife and her business idea hot him in trouble, no one got hurt, courts should go easy on him

 Come on smew, you have been here long enough to know how to deliver a wind-up post better than that...............

 

•  

"Saleswoman at the O-eh shop Benjaporn Janthawong, 24, said that a middle eastern looking man came into the store speaking a language she didn't know."

 

He was probably trying to speak Thai.

1 hour ago, abrahamzvi said:

Here is the best proof of what was said above about  the brainless white supremacist Thai bashers. You sound like one of them, Alex8912!!!

It's a peculiar train of thought that turns someone who believes Thai police don't pursue thai on farang crimes as diligently as farang on thai crimes (true or not doesn't matter) into being a White Supremacist. It's (slightly) possible that you are correct, and at the same time it's a huge leap and a very inflammatory accusation. Maybe save it for a real White Supremacist?

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Initially thought to be an "Arab" it now emerges that the robber who spent just 30 seconds in the O-eh shop in Thanin market is an ex US serviceman.

It's about time that Thailand realises that the so called "Quality Tourists" are just a pain in the ass...On the contrary: the remaining expats who take care of (Thai) families, building houses...giving opportunities to study and go to University...are always embarrassed with idiot rules to follow....Thailand, open your eyes and open your mind!

7 hours ago, farang1979 said:

Poor bugger. Desperate act committed by a desperate man. 

Right. I often go out robbing gold shops when I`m short of cash, as I`m sure most of us do.

7 hours ago, farang1979 said:

Desperate act committed by a desperate man. 

Indeed! The poor sod will only need to do another 9 raids to get enough cash to meet immigration rules! Must be desperate. Hope he doesn't get too harsh a punishment.

Unlike that poor Thai lady who was nicking a few Baht from her job on the toll roads....40 years if I am not wrong! Don't dare touch "Better Peoples Money" in Thailand, you can kill you can rape but touch a Satang from the well heeled and you are for the high jump!