SONGKHLA: A security guard at the Regency Hotel in Hat Yai city was arrested on Sunday for stealing the car of a Malaysian guest, police said.
Pol Maj Gen Chalermpol Roongrat, a Hat Yai police investigator, said Malaysian tourist Lien Swe Cheng, 31, filed a complaint with police on Sunday, saying that he arrived in Hat Yai on Thursday with his family in a Malaysia-registered Toyota Vios and parked the car in the hotel's car park.
When he and his family were about to leave the hotel to return to to Malaysia on Sunday morning, he found that the car had disappeared.
Police examined the car park and invited many people, including security guards, for questioning.
One of the security guards, Natthachai Meesuk, 31, confessed to taking the car. He said some people found a car key and gave it to him.
According to Mr Natthachai, he was suddenly tempted to make a quick fortune. He drove the car to Wat Khok Muang in Khlong Hoy Khong district where he removed the car's licence number plate, threw it into a canal and left the car at the temple.
Mr Natthachai was hired to work as a security guard at the hotel only seven days ago.