Armed Robbers Hold Up Elderly Fruit Vendor for 6,000 Baht

Two armed robbers on a motorcycle accosted an elderly fruit vendor in the Ladprao-Wanghin area, brandishing a gun and ransacking his money container on his cart, making off with around 6,000 baht. The incident occurred on August 1 at approximately 10:30 p.m. near the Ladprao temple curve, before Bang Jak petrol station—a dark and isolated location. On August 4, the "Khao Sod" news team met with Nai Cho, a bakery shop owner and good citizen who accompanied the vendor to file a police report.

Nai Cho explained that the vendor regularly stops at his shop around 5:00 p.m., and he often provides him with food and water because the elderly man pushes his cart selling fruit by himself. On August 1, the vendor arrived looking distressed and said he had suffered "bad luck"—he had been robbed. He recounted that around 10:30 p.m., while pushing his cart home on his usual route, two men on a motorcycle wearing black helmets pulled up beside him. The passenger, holding a gun, stood guard while the driver rummaged through the colored container where the vendor kept his money, stealing approximately 6,000 baht accumulated over three days of sales.

Nai Cho noted that the robbers likely had been observing the vendor's behavior beforehand, as he had been selling in the area for a long time and kept his money in the same container—something an ordinary person would not know unless they had been monitoring him. The 6,000 baht represented three days of fruit sales plus extra money customers had given him, such as paying 100 baht for a 50-baht item. The vendor has no bank account, no mobile phone, and cannot read or write, so he cannot deposit or transfer money normally. When customers want to transfer funds to him, they send money to Nai Cho's account, and he gives the vendor cash. After the robbery, Nai Cho took the vendor to file a report, and police are investigating.

Despite his fear following the robbery, the vendor continues selling because it is his only means of livelihood. Nai Cho appealed to the perpetrators: "If you must be a thief, at least have some dignity. Don't rob an elderly man who has no strength to fight back. He would give you anything if you asked." He added that the vendor is so kindhearted that he sometimes lets customers take fruit on credit when they have no money. Nai Cho urged the robbers to stop their behavior and never target the elderly or those unable to defend themselves.