PATTAYA — A teenage burglar broke into an Australian businesswoman’s condo and stole valuables worth nearly 4 million baht ($115K) while she was out with her family during Loy Krathong festival. Pattaya police quickly apprehended the suspect, discovering the 14-year-old perpetrator had previously escaped from a children’s home and had been committing thefts throughout Pattaya.
On the evening of November 16, Ms. Annie, a 40-year-old Australian real estate businesswoman, arrived at Pattaya Police Station to identify her stolen property after police notified her of the arrest.
The recovered items included Rolex and Cartier watches, bracelets, gold necklaces, rings, and diamond jewelry. Ms. Annie was very relieved to have recovered almost all of her belongings. She praised the police for their swift action in catching the suspect within just a few hours.
Police identified the suspect through CCTV footage and arrested “Chang” (alias), a 14-year-old Laotian national, near Nong Or Temple in Central Pattaya, approximately 5.7 kilometers from the crime scene.
The Australian businesswoman reported that on Loy Krathong night, she had taken her children and family to a pool villa in Bang Saray, Sattahip district, Chonburi province, leaving around 2:20 PM. When she returned to her condo the next morning on November 16, she was shocked to find her room ransacked and valuables missing from the drawers, prompting her to call the police.
Investigation of CCTV footage showed the perpetrator entering the condo at 2:10 AM through a side entrance, checking ground floor rooms before breaking into her room through a glass door, stealing valuables, and leaving around 4:00 AM on foot. Police tracked him using CCTV footage along his escape route until they located him.
Meanwhile, forensic officers collected DNA evidence for the case. The teenage suspect appeared disoriented during questioning but admitted to the theft and pleaded with the Australian victim not to press charges, claiming he has autism.
The Australian woman expressed hope that government officials would help provide proper care for the young offender to address his problems and help him find a better path in life.
Police background checks revealed that the young suspect had been sent to Banglamung Children’s Home by Pattaya Police just days earlier, on November 11, after another attempted burglary where that victim chose not to press charges. He escaped from the children’s home on November 14, three days before this latest incident.
Additional victims came forward to identify the boy as the person who stole over 20 amulets from a rental room in the Peniat Chang area of Central Pattaya on Loy Krathong night (November 15), with clear CCTV evidence of his face. Police have detained him for further investigation.
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