CHANTHABURI: Police have arrested a suspect after a lone man wielding a long knife robbed two gold shops in Muang district three days apart.
Wutthipong Somsa-nor, 31, was apprehended at a house in tambon Tha Chang in Muang district and several gold necklaces seized when police raided the premises on Monday night, Thai media reported.
A man wearing a full-face crash helmet stormed into the Chai Li gold shop in Muang ditrict around 11.37am on Monday. He tried to smash a glass showcase holding gold ornaments with a long-bladed knife, but failed to break it.
He then grabbed 14 small gold necklaces, 3.5 baht-weight in total, from a front showcase. Shop owner Supaporn Wutthiket tried fearlessly to stop him, and the robber hit her three times. She was bruised but not severely injured.
The robber fled on a motorcycle parked in front of a nearby theatre.
Mr Wutthipong allegedly confessed to police after his arrest that he had robbed the Chai Li gold shop, and also another gold shop in Muang district three days earlier.
Police said a lone robber with a knife robbed the Sonthaya gold shop on Friday, making off with six baht-weight of gold necklaces.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Chalermkiart Srivorakhan and Provincial Police Region 2 chief Pol Lt Gen Jitti Rodbangyang were due in Chanthaburi province to observe the crime re-enactment scheduled for 4pm Tuesday.
Video clip of Chai Li gold shop robbery from Parteep Srivichai Facebook page: