Two suspects fled to Laos with gold jewellery worth about 13 million baht after robbing a shop in Chiang Rai on Tuesday, August 4. Police identified one of the suspects as a Lao national.
The robbery took place on Tuesday evening at a gold shop inside a shopping mall in Chiang Khong district, Chiang Rai.
One suspect, dressed in a brown jacket and beige trousers, threatened staff and customers with a firearm while his accomplice, wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and long jeans, jumped over the counter and filled a bag with gold necklaces and bracelets.
The pair escaped with jewellery valued at about 13 million baht before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle, investigators said.
Security camera footage later showed the suspects abandoning the motorcycle in a wooded area near the giant golden catfish sculpture on the Mekong River in Chiang Rai. Police believe they then crossed into Laos by ferry.
Investigators found the motorcycle had been rented from a vehicle hire business near Bak Ferry Pier, a crossing point used by travellers heading to Huay Xai in Bokeo province, Laos.
Police said the rental shop owner admitted no rental contract or identification documents had been collected from the customers.
According to Channel 7, investigators have identified one of the suspects as 28 year old Lao national Thao Pornprasit Khamtit.
Witnesses reportedly told police the suspect fled towards Luang Namtha province, near Bokeo, after crossing the border.
Thai authorities are now coordinating with their Lao counterparts in an effort to locate and arrest both suspects. Police also announced a reward of 100,000 baht for information leading to the arrest of the two men.
In a similar case in November 2022, a Thai man stole a gold necklace worth about 150,000 baht from a shop in Chiang Rai before swimming across the border into Myanmar. He was arrested in January 2023.
Another cross-border investigation followed a gold shop robbery in Tak province in March 2025, when a suspect was believed to have fled to Myanmar after stealing gold jewellery worth 4.7 million baht. Police established checkpoints along the border, but no further updates on the case were released publicly.
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