2 Chinese tourists arrested after gold shop robbery in Korat

Police have arrested two Chinese men accused of carrying out a brazen gold shop robbery in Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday morning, stealing gold rings worth an estimated 300,000 baht before fleeing the scene. The incident took place at around 10:11am on April 27 at a gold shop in Dan Kwian subdistrict, Chok Chai district, where two masked men entered the store while two female staff members were inside. Police said the employees fled to the back of the shop after spotting the men, who were wearing black long-sleeve shirts, shorts, and masks covering their faces. Unable to access gold necklaces due to protective grills, the men used a blunt object to smash a display cabinet containing gold rings before quickly grabbing items and fleeing the scene. The entire robbery took approximately 30 seconds. The men then escaped in a white Toyota Yaris sedan with no visible licence plate, prompting police to issue a nationwide alert. Authorities later confirmed the men were Chinese nationals identified as 27-year-old Zou Qintao from Guangdong province and 19-year-old Song Haolong from Sichuan province. Police said the pair were arrested later the same day at a car rental shop in Prawet district, Bangkok, after investigators traced the vehicle used in the robbery back to the rental company. Officers coordinated with immigration police and local units before locating the pair, who were found in possession of the stolen gold rings. No firearm was recovered, with the men allegedly claiming it had been discarded during their escape. Police said initial investigations suggested the pair entered Thailand as tourists, and both were reported to have Thai girlfriends. Authorities added that they allegedly ran out of money before planning the robbery. Investigators from Nakhon Ratchasima provincial police are en route to take custody of the pair for further questioning in the province, while evidence is being compiled for legal proceedings.