Police were called to the shop, PK Telecom near the oil depot on Sakdidet Rd, at about 12:50pm.
Officers arrived to find shop staffer ‘Ms Kaew’, 31, in a state of distress. Ms Kaew explained that a man, later identified as Ranchanthorn Ngamthonkit, 29, entered the shop brandishing a gun.
The suspect, wearing a gray hoodie, blue jeans, a red cap and red flip-flops, threatened her and demanded she open the safe. Fearing for her safety, Ms Kaew handed over B26,050 in cash.
The suspect then fled on a white-and-black Honda Click motorbike without a license plate. He was last seen heading along Sakdidet Rd.
Police reviewed CCTV footage and tracked down Ranchanthorn. At about 9:30pm, police located and arrested Ranchanthorn at a Shabu restaurant near a Lotus’s store in Wichit, where he worked as a chef.
During questioning, Ranchanthorn confessed to the robbery, citing financial difficulties and a need to pay off car installments as his motive.
A subsequent search of the suspect’s residence in Soi Santisuk saw police recover the clothes worn during the robbery and the Smith & Wesson revolver used to commit the robbery.
Police last night took Ranchanon back to the mobile phone shop to reenact his crime as part of the investigation.
Ms Kaew, who was still in shock during the police investigation, described the terrifying ordeal, stating that the suspect had shown her a weapon tucked into his waistband while ordering her to remain silent.
Ranchanthorn remains in police custody and faces charges of armed robbery.