Suspects Wanchai ThongKliang, 25, from Nakhon Sawan, and Suppanat Chobkhat, 21, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, were presented to the press at Karon Police Station on Friday (Sept 2).
Wanchai and Suppanat were arrested earlier on Friday after police stopped and searched them on the road between Chalong and Karon, explained Lt Col Pornarong Karnorachai, Inspector at Karon Police.
“They matched the descriptions given by eye-witnesses and they have admitted to stealing items from the tourists’ motorbike,” he said.
Lifeguards alerted police to the theft at Karon Beach. “The Japanese tourist drove parked his motorbike along the main road beside Karon Beach,” Col Pornarong said.
“While he was walking away, two thieves came and forced open the seat and stole items from underneath it. Luckily, lifeguards and local residents were there at the time. All of them tried to catch the two thieves, but they ran away.
“We arrested them only because of the help under the ‘Lifeguards Protect the Beaches’ project, which also includes good local residents,” he said.
Police later searched the two men’s rented room in Phuket Town, where they found an assortment of items police believe to have been stolen from other victims.
“We found many coins from several countries and personal belongings that seemed suspicious for the two men to have in their possession,” Col Pornarong said, but denied to name the residence where the men were staying.
Wanchai and Suppanat have been charged with theft, Col Pornarong told The Phuket News today.
“After we entered their names into the police database, we found that the two men were wanted for more than 10 criminal cases in many areas. Now we are co-ordinating with other officials and police stations for those cases,” he said.
The previous cases included previous thefts and drug charges, Col Pornarong said.