Man Arrested for Gold Snatching After Failed Buddha Amulet Sale
A 30-year-old man from Chaiyaphum was arrested after snatching gold necklaces from a Bangkok shopping mall jewelry shop, unable to sell a Buddha amulet to fund his grandmother's cancer treatment.
A 30-year-old man named Phongkorn traveled by bus from Chaiyaphum starting at 10 a.m., arriving at Mo Chit around 3 p.m. He took a taxi to a shopping mall hoping to sell a Buddha amulet to raise 700,000-800,000 baht for his grandmother's stage-three cancer treatment. When a Buddha amulet expert refused to buy it, Phongkorn became discouraged and headed downstairs. Passing a gold jewelry shop on the ground floor, he decided to ask to view some 10-baht gold necklaces. As the shop employee handed him one to inspect, he seized the opportunity to snatch the necklace and run toward the exit. Security guards caught him at the corner before he could escape. Police from Rattanathibesorn Station arrived and detained Phongkorn, finding two gold necklaces weighing 10 baht each, broken from the snatching. During interrogation, Phongkorn confessed to the crime, admitting that desperation over his grandmother's illness drove him to commit the theft. He accepted responsibility for his actions.
