BANGKOK — The mysterious disappearance of jewelry worth over US$22,000 from a Bangkok luxury hotel room continues to puzzle investigators, as the case takes an intriguing turn with multiple conflicting accounts.
The Lumpini Police Station investigators revealed they need to conduct additional in-person interviews with the Indonesian wife who filed the complaint. According to police, previous telephone interviews with her have yielded statements that were inconsistent with factual evidence, adding another layer of mystery to the case.
The case stems from a November 2 incident at a luxury hotel in in Bangkok’s Klong Toey district, where the jewelry – three diamond rings (including a Tiffany wedding ring) and a bracelet – allegedly disappeared from the couple’s room. The items were reportedly left in the bathroom around 2:00 p.m. on their check-out day.
The Singaporean husband stated that at 2:40 p.m. he went down to check out and requested hotel staff to retrieve their packed luggage from the room. The staff brought down their luggage at 2:55 p.m. He then informed the reception staff that he and his wife would be stepping out for a while. While they were outside, his wife suddenly remembered she hadn’t packed her jewelry and called to notify the hotel.
At 4:30 p.m., the complainant stated that a hotel staff member called to ask if her rings were white. At 5:00 p.m., when the couple returned to the hotel, staff allowed the Indonesian wife to inspect their room. However, the jewelry was nowhere to be found, and she discovered the room had already been cleaned. They then proceeded to file a police report.
Police have already questioned five hotel staff members who entered the room that day and reviewed CCTV footage. They are also examining the bank account activities of the interviewed staff members.
The hotel management maintains that their internal investigation found no wrongdoing by staff members. Meanwhile, the hotel has acknowledged the situation but declines to provide additional details, citing confidentiality concerns.
The investigation remains ongoing, with police now focusing on resolving the discrepancies in testimonies while continuing to trace the missing jewelry.
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