The theft was discovered at about 10:15 this morning when an employee of Bangkok Servex Co arrived to refill the machine.
The employee, who asked not to be named, told The Phuket News he found the padlock was missing from the door that gives access to the back of the two machines at the bank
“I opened the door, and found the back of one of the machines had be cut and burned. I immediately informed my company.” The other machine, he said, was untouched.
Phuket Town police were alerted within minutes of the discovery. Pol Capt Rachan Punwai, who went to the scene, said, “The machine was opened with a cutting torch. It had about B1 million in it at the time.”
The nearest CCTV camera is in the neighbouring PTT petrol station but there are trees in between, so no useful footage could be obtained from it.
Capt Rachan said, “We can’t see the thief or thieves on that camera, so now we are checking footage from other CCTVs installed along Thepkrassatree Rd.”