HUA RO, PHRA NAKHON SI AYUTTHAYA DISTRICT, THAILAND – Suwichada Ongying, a 27-year-old mother facing severe financial difficulties, was arrested for stealing a gold bracelet after being threatened by a lender who intimidated her with harm to her four-month-old child.
The incident occurred on January 12, at a gold shop in Hua Ro, located in the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district of Ayutthaya province. Suwichada, who works as a motorcycle rider through an app, admitted to the theft.
Struggling after the birth of her child, Suwichada had borrowed 7,000 baht (approximately US$200) online, initially believing it was a monthly repayment scheme. However, she soon discovered it required weekly payments, which quickly accumulated with an additional 4,000 baht (around US$115) interest. To make matters worse, the lender threatened to harm both her and her child.
Feeling trapped and desperate, Suwichada entered the gold shop, pretending to show interest in a 2 salung gold bracelet. When the shop staff was distracted, she seized the bracelet, hid it in her jeans pocket, and claimed she needed to withdraw cash. She fled the store on her motorcycle.
Afterward, Suwichada sold the bracelet in Bangkok, using the proceeds, totaling 10,000 baht (approximately US$290), to make a payment to her lender. The remaining money was used to buy milk for her child.
Her life seemed to return to normal until police from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya station tracked her down. Under the leadership of Police Colonel Monchai Luangprasert, the deputy chief of investigation, an arrest warrant was obtained from the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya provincial court. Suwichada was captured while riding her motorcycle in Bang Sue district, Bangkok.
Meanwhile, in a related development, two Liberian nationals were arrested in connection to a gold-selling scam in Bangkok that resulted in the theft of around US$90,000 (approximately 3 million baht) from a Thai businessman. The scam involved counterfeit banknotes being swapped for genuine currency.
Suwichada’s case has drawn attention to the severe financial pressures faced by many in the face of aggressive lending practices and the lengths some may go to in desperate circumstances.