Chalong Police Chief Col Therdthoon sroisukphaphan gave the order to hunt down the robbers after he received a report of a Chinese tourist having her bag snatched by two men on a motorbike near a Mini Big C store in Rawai last Wednesday (May 22).
Stolen in the bag was B1,600 in cash, the woman’s passport and her credit cards, said the official police report, which did not name the tourist.
Yet the serious issue was how the woman, who police did not name, was dragged sideways through the air and landed heavily on her head and shoulder on the road as she did not have time to let go of the bag as the men sped past on the motorbike.
The ensuing investigation, which saw Maj Prasert Srita, an Investigator with the Phuket Provincial Police, confirmed that the man driving the motorbike was 25-year-old Phuket native Monthon Kruapanit, noted the official police report.
Police obtained a warrant for Monthon’s arrest, and six days later, yesterday (May 28), the officers were informed that Montol had been seen operating a barbecue stall on Patak Rd near Karon Circle.
The officers moved in and placed Monthon under arrest, with Montol reportedly confessing to driving the motorbike during the bag snatch, the report added.
Soon after, police had the second suspect in custody, Supalert Kruaeu, also 25, from Nakhon Pathom.
Supalert was arrested at his rented room on Taina Rd, Karon. He confessed to grabbing the bag during the theft, police said.
Both Monthon and Supalert were charged with theft theft by snatching causing bodily or mental harm to another person.
If found guilty, Under Section 336 of the Thai Criminal Code both men face a penalty of from two to seven years in jail and a fine of B4,000 to B14,000.
Police did not reported the extent of the injuries that the Chinese woman suffered.