KHON KAEN — 29 March 2026, Police have arrested a 24-year-old man for breaking into a gold shop and withdrawing cash using a stolen ATM card, taking a total of 25,000 baht, officers said.
At 14:30 Pol. Col. Phakphum Decharuangsri, superintendent of Ban Ped police station, led investigators in re-enacting the crime at four locations with the suspect, identified only as Narin, from Bua Lai district in Nakhon Ratchasima province.
The first location was an ATM at a petrol station on Maliwan Road where the suspect withdrew cash. The second was where he discarded an ATM card. The third was a white Toyota pickup truck he had left at a bus shelter about 800 metres from the gold shop. The final location was the shop itself in Ban Thum subdistrict, Mueang district, Khon Kaen, whose name and staff identities were withheld.
Police said the break-in occurred at about 02:00 on 28 March. CCTV footage showed a man aged around 20–30 wearing a short-sleeved shirt, long trousers and a face covering walking past the shop before placing a chair on an ice container to climb onto the roof. He then cut through the roofing, broke through the ceiling and forced open metal bars to search for valuables.
The suspect took an ATM card and coins before exiting through the rear door using a key found inside. He then drove to refuel and used the ATM card twice at a PTT petrol station, withdrawing 2,000 baht and 23,000 baht, totalling 25,000 baht.
The shop owner was alerted during the incident by a banking application showing ATM withdrawals. The theft was discovered the following morning when the shop was opened.
Investigators tracked the suspect using CCTV footage, identifying the pickup truck as belonging to a logistics company in northeastern Thailand. The vehicle was fitted with a GPS system, allowing officers to locate the suspect at an internet café in the Kangsadan area of Khon Kaen. He was arrested as he returned to the vehicle.
During questioning, Narin admitted acting alone and said he had not planned the crime in advance. He told police he was under financial pressure, as his father has been imprisoned on drug charges for over a year and his mother supports four younger siblings on limited income. He earns about 300 baht a day as a delivery driver and said his mother frequently asked him for money.
He said he did not intend to steal gold but took whatever he could find, including an ATM card with a PIN written on it. After withdrawing the cash, he spent 1,100 baht on fuel and planned to deposit the remainder and transfer it to his mother, but was arrested before he could do so.
Police seized cash, one ATM card and tools used in the crime, including cutting pliers and a screwdriver. Officers also recovered a second ATM card discarded in nearby scrubland, as indicated by the suspect.
He has been charged with night-time theft involving damage to protective barriers and offences under the Computer Crime Act. Police said he has been handed over to investigators at Ban Ped police station for legal proceedings.