Man attempts gold heist after bank says he can only withdraw S$0.10
Frustrated after being told by a bank that he could only withdraw 3 baht (S$0.10) despite believing he had 1.7 million baht (S$66,600) in his account, a man in Thailand went into a gold shop and attempted a daring daylight heist.
According to Thai news outlet Channel 7, the incident took place at around 7pm on Sunday (27 April) in Rayong Province.
CCTV footage showed the man entering the store, asking to see a gold necklace, and pretending to browse.
When the shop assistant brought out a tray of necklaces, the man stepped outside as though making a phone call.
A few moments later, he rushed back in, grabbed the tray containing 10 necklaces — valued at over 2 million baht (S$78,000) — and fled.
Source: ZOOM Rayong ซูมระยà¸à¸‡ on Facebook
Tackled by former box during escape
As the man raced down an escalator, he was intercepted by 52-year-old former boxer Winai Masawat, who was shopping with his wife at the time.
Two other men, who had been pursuing him, assisted in holding down the thief, preventing him from fleeing further while they waited for the police.
Source: ครà¸à¸šà¸„รัวข่าว 3 ระยà¸à¸‡ on Facebook
The suspect, later identified as 25-year-old Nattapon, was found bleeding from the head and sitting on the floor when police arrived at the scene.
Admits to committing robbery after being unable to withdraw cash from bank
During questioning, the man revealed that he was from Chumphon Province and worked as a durian cutter in Chanthaburi.
On the day of the incident, a public holiday, he had travelled to Rayong for a short break.
He explained that he had planned to sell some amulets and give the proceeds to his mother to buy land.
However, since he had not sold the amulets yet, he decided to withdraw money from the bank.
Before heading out, he admitted to taking a methamphetamine pill.
Upon arriving at the bank, he requested to withdraw funds, believing he had 1.7 million baht in his account.
To his shock, he was told he could only withdraw 3 baht. Enraged by this, he decided to rob the gold shop.
Source: โจโฉ on Facebook
He claimed that he earned 400,000 to 500,000 baht (S$15,700 to S$19,600) annually and had never made a withdrawal before.
As a result, he couldn’t understand why his account balance had dropped to just 3 baht.
Authorities discover S$66,700 balance was from 2023
Initial investigations revealed that the 1.7 million baht balance was from 2023.
By 2025, however, the balance had dropped to just 3 baht.
Police Major General Phumin Singhasut, Commander of Rayong Provincial Police, stated that a certificate of appreciation would be presented on Wednesday (23 April) to three Good Samaritans, including Mr Winai.
Recalling the incident, Mr Winai said he used his knee to strike the suspect, doubling him over in pain and preventing his escape. He then restrained the man with the help of a mall security guard.
The manager of the gold shop also confirmed that a reward would be given to the brave individuals who helped apprehend the thief.
One of them, he added, is a loyal customer of the store.
Also read: Gun-wielding thief tries to rob gold shop in Thailand , runs away after being yelled by owner
Gun-wielding thief tries to rob gold shop in Thailand , runs away after being yelled by owner
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from ZOOM Rayong ซูมระยà¸à¸‡ on Facebook and โจโฉ on Facebook.
