A Bangkok taxi driver allegedly stole gold worth THB8.6 million belonging to the shop where his wife works after they had an argument.
Suspect Mr. Pichai Boonchuay, a 65-year-old taxi driver, stole 300 baht weight of gold jewelry from Ms. Fuang Saimoon, a 50-year-old employee of a gold shop in Bangkok’s Bang Kapi district.
Ms. Fuang said that she had taken the jewelry to Nakhon Ratchasima to be modified and had hired Mr. Pichai to bring the gold back to the Thai capital when he absconded with it, the Bangkok Post reported.
Police sensed something fishy though, and upon further questioning Ms. Fuang admitted that Mr. Pichai was her husband and that they had an argument on the day the gold disappeared. She said that she was not involved at all in the theft though, and had immediately called the police.
Pichai was arrested on Monday in Chiang Mai.
Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Pol Maj Gen Khamronwit said that Pichai confessed to the robbery alone and said that he did not plan it in advance.
But police were hesitant to believe him, and later discovered that he was in debt, had not paid his taxi rental fee for weeks, and had sold his house for cash.
Pensri Jarukamnerdkanok, the owner of the Bang Kapi gold shop, donated THB100,000 to the Metropolitan Police Bureau for the quick work.
