KHON KAEN: Thai police have sought permission from Lao authorities to enter the neighbouring country to look for two suspects in the robbery of a gold shop in Muang district of this northeastern province, Pol Maj Gen Promnattakhet Hamkhampai, the provincial police chief, said on Sunday.
On Friday, robbers made off with 437 baht-weight of gold ornaments from Mae Thongpool gold shop at Big C department store on Mitraparp road in the Khon Kaen municipality.
On Saturday afternoon, the police arrested three suspects - Supot Phetrangsi, Priwan Yabundit and Narong Juajinda. The three said two other suspects - Chaimongkol Jaibun-upatham and Ruangsak Phanthong - had fled to Laos via Si Chiang Mai district of Nong Khai province.
Pol Maj Gen Promnattakhet said the Region 4 Provincial Police Bureau had contacted Lao authorities to seek permission for Thai officers to travel to Laos to pursue the hunt for the two other suspects.
He said the three arrested suspects denied involvement in the robbery but admitted to taking the two other suspects to Nong Khai's Si Chiang Mai district prior to their escape to Laos. The three are being detained at the Muang police station for further questioning.