Capt Rachan Panwai of the Phuket City Police was called to the scene, a small side street near the fresh market on Ong Sim Phai Rd, at 7:30am.
Officers arrived to find Phuket native Sathit Pongthanaphanit, 77, standing beside his grey Toyota sedan, which still had both front doors open. Mr Sathit was still bleeding from his left hand and had a long scratch on his neck.
Mr Sathit told police that he parked in the street to buy some sweets at the market. When he returned he got in and started his car, and a stranger opened the front passenger door and tried to snatch his gold necklace.
The man, brandishing a screwdriver, told Mr Sathit to not fight back, otherwise he would stab him.
Mr Sathit explained that he opened the driver’s door to flee, but the man ran around the car and tried to stab him. Mr Sathit fended off the screwdriver the man was holding, but was stabbed twice in the hand while doing so.
While Mr Sathit was doubled over in pain from the stabs to his hand, the man snatched his necklace, breaking it as he tore it from Mr Sathit’s neck and causing the amulet of Luang Por Chaem on the necklace to fall to the ground.
With the necklace still in hand, the man grabbed the amulet and sped off toward Nimit Circle (also called the Seahorse Circle) on a black Honda Click motorbike, Mr Sathit said.
Mr Sathit said the necklace by weight of gold was valued at about B113,750, and the amulet, being a “first edition” of Phuket’s most revered monk, he said was priceless.
Capt Rachan said that police are now checking CCTV from the area in order to track down the robber.