A 47-year-old man, Prakorn Samnuk, was arrested today in Pattaya following a rapid investigation into a bold gold shop robbery that took place in Lamphun province on June 7.
The robbery occurred at the Yaowarat Gold Shop in Pa Sang district, where a lone assailant—later identified as Prakorn—stormed in wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt, jeans, a black cap, and a face mask. He grabbed two 5-baht gold necklaces, worth over 500,000 baht, and fled on a black Yamaha Mio motorcycle. The robbery took less than five minutes.
Thanks to a tip-off and coordinated efforts by the Chon Buri Provincial Police, officers tracked Prakorn to a shopping mall in Central Pattaya. He was apprehended under an arrest warrant issued by the Lamphun Provincial Court.
The operation was led by Police Colonel Phasakorn Paichit and Police Major Pheerawat Wongthong. Upon arrest, authorities found Prakorn in possession of 415,072 baht in cash and two mobile phones, both seized as evidence.
During interrogation, Prakorn confessed to the robbery, admitting he committed the crime to fund an online gambling addiction. He had already sold the stolen gold in Pattaya and was planning to flee the country. However, police managed to intercept him before he could escape.
“Prakorn’s actions were driven by financial desperation,” a police spokesperson stated. “Thanks to the swift response of our officers, we were able to apprehend him before he left the country.”
Prakorn is currently being held at Pattaya City Police Station, awaiting transfer to Lamphun for further legal proceedings. The recovered cash and phones will serve as key evidence in the ongoing investigation.
