Chinese tourists arrested over armed Thailand gold shop robbery

Two Chinese tourists have been arrested in Thailand after allegedly robbing a gold shop at gunpoint when they ran out of travel money.

The robbery took place in Nakhon Ratchasima province on April 27 at about 10am. According to Thai media reports and police investigations, two masked men entered a gold shop, with one suspect pointing a handgun at staff and customers while the other smashed glass display cases with a hammer.

The pair allegedly stole gold rings worth about 380,000 baht (HK$92,500) before fleeing in a rented car.

Police reviewed surveillance footage from the shop and nearby roads and traced the getaway vehicle to a car rental company in Bangkok. Investigators said the suspects attempted to return to the capital after the robbery and discarded the firearm used in the crime while escaping.

Thai authorities issued a nationwide manhunt and tracked the suspects to a car rental shop in Bangkok’s Prawet district. Officers arrested the two men at about 6.30pm on the same day while they were preparing to return the vehicle. More than 30 stolen gold rings were recovered.

The suspects were identified as a 27-year-old man surnamed Zou from Guangdong province and a 19-year-old man surnamed Song from Sichuan province. Both entered Thailand as tourists, according to police.

Thai media reported that the pair told investigators they had spent all their money during the trip and decided to carry out the robbery after running out of funds.

Police said further investigations were ongoing and the two men could face serious criminal charges.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓