Police are hunting for a thief who broke into a luxury home in Kathu, Phuket, and stole 40 baht-weight of gold (about 600 grammes) and more than 3 million baht while the homeowner was overseas.
The break-in was reported yesterday, June 8, by 54 year old Somsak, who told Kathu police that someone had forced their way into the house and stolen a large amount of valuables.
Somsak is the younger brother of the homeowner, who is living abroad. He had been looking after the property while his brother was away.
He told police he normally visited the house once a week to check on it. Yesterday, he went there to clean the property and noticed signs that the house had been broken into. After checking inside, Somsak found that several valuables stored in a wardrobe drawer were missing.
The stolen items included gold bars weighing a total of 33 baht-weight (about 495 grammes) and gold jewellery weighing a total of 7 baht-weight (about 105 grammes). More than 2 million baht in Thai cash was missing, along with euros valued at more than 1 million baht.
Officers from Kathu Police Station found signs of forced entry at the property. Forensic police collected latent fingerprints and other evidence from the scene for examination.
They are now checking nearby CCTV footage and reviewing routes into and out of the village for clues. Initial findings suggest the thief may have targeted the house because it had been left unoccupied for a long period.
Khaosod reported that police are working to identify the suspect and take legal action.
Under Thai law, theft involving forced entry into a dwelling may fall under Section 335 of the Criminal Code, which covers aggravated theft.
The offence carries a penalty of one to five years in prison and a fine of 20,000 to 100,000 baht. Penalties may increase to up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 140,000 baht if multiple aggravating factors apply.
Similarly, a Phuket family returned home from celebrations to find their house had been burgled, with a safe containing 1 million baht, gold bars, gold necklaces, and passports stolen as police searched for the culprits.
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