The Sing Buri school director accused of robbing a gold shop in neighbouring Lop Buri province on Jan 9 says he was in desperate need of money to pay off debts of more than 2 million baht, a source in the Crime Suppression Division's investigation team said.
The robbery turned tragic when the suspect shot dead three people, including a two-year-old boy, and injured four others.
Despite his previous claim that he had robbed the gold shop because he wanted some excitement in his life, Prasittichai Khaokaew, 38, director of Wat Pho Chai School in Sing Buri province, eventually admitted financial problems were his real motive. He was arrested on Wednesday morning in Lop Buri as he was leaving for school.
A check into his financial records showed the suspect owes more than 2 million baht to teachers' cooperatives and Krungthai Bank, the source said.
Investigators also found Mr Prasittichai had previously spent 300,000 baht on a BMW Z4, which was later seized in a crackdown on illegally imported cars and led him to be fined 600,000 baht.
The school director earned more than 30,000 baht a month, but after deductions, he had little left to fund his luxury lifestyle, the source said.
At a press briefing held by national police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda yesterday, Mr Prasittichai spoke briefly to the media via video call.
"I decided to do it because I had personal problems including a financial issue. And I had to kill someone simply because I wanted to scare people away," he said. "I had been planning the robbery two or three days in advance."
He said he ended up shooting one of the shop staff members twice because his glove got stuck in the trigger, while the security guard had to be killed to clear the way. However, he said two-year-old Nong Titan was not a target, as he was killed by a stray bullet.
"I felt guilty every time I saw news coverage [of the boy getting killed]. My apologies to Nong Titan and the gold shop employee. I was thinking about surrendering to police today after completing a school function," he said.
Meanwhile, Pol Gen Suwat Chaengyotsuk, deputy national police chief, said investigators have clearly linked the suspect to the robbery.
After initially claiming the stolen gold items worth about 680,000 baht were thrown in the river -- resulting in divers wasting several hours looking for them -- Mr Prasittichai admitted later the loot was hidden in the roof of the carport in his father's house in Lop Buri's Muang district.
Police found 31 gold necklaces there.
Police divers are still searching for the silencer the suspect used with a CZ P-01 gun he borrowed from his father, a former police official, which the suspect said had been thrown in the Chao Phraya River in Sing Buri, said a source.
At this point, no evidence has been found to link the suspect's father or anyone else to the robbery, Pol Gen Suwat said.