BANGKOK, THAILAND – A family trip to the capital ended in a violent street robbery when a 10-baht gold chain was torn from a barber shop owner’s neck as he sat in a tuk tuk at a major city-center intersection.
Family outing turns into street robbery
The 46-year-old Rattanaphum Kampalak, a barber shop owner from Nakhon Sawan province, had traveled to Bangkok with his family because his son was taking a portfolio examination at Kasetsart University. After checking into a hotel in the Lak Si district, the family planned to spend the afternoon exploring the city center together.
They first used the BTS to reach the MBK shopping mall for a shopping trip, then hired a tuk tuk from there, heading toward the busy Chinatown area of Yaowarat.
Attack at red light on MahaNakhon intersection
During the ride, the three-wheeled vehicle stopped at a red light at the MahaNakhon intersection on Rama VI Road in Rong Mueang subdistrict, where the robbery took place. While seated on the right-hand side of the tuk tuk, Rattanaphum suddenly felt a violent jerk at his neck as the vehicle waited at the light.
According to his account, an assailant on a motorbike seized the opportunity and ripped the gold chain away within seconds before speeding off.
Suspect description and getaway route
Rattanaphum told police the suspect appeared to be around 30 years old, wore a moustache and a full-face helmet, and was dressed in a gray-blue jacket, black trousers and sandals. The man was riding a black Honda Click motorbike without a license plate and reportedly approached the tuk tuk from the side in heavy traffic.
The stolen chain, made from 10 baht of gold, was a heavy piece of jewelry carrying a venerated amulet of Luang Pu Phrom from 1978, set with a gold figure. The forceful pull left visible injuries on Rattanaphum’s neck, while the robber fled in the direction of Rama IV Road, leaving the family in panic.
Spiritual loss weighs heavily on victim
To officers, the barber shop owner stressed that although the gold chain had material value, the religious amulet was of immeasurable spiritual importance to him. He urged the authorities to arrest the suspect quickly and bring him before the court, saying the loss of the amulet caused him particular psychological distress.
Police examine CCTV and offer 20,000-baht reward
Police Major Sirichart Chanpromma from Pathum Wan Police Station said investigators were currently reviewing CCTV footage in the MBK area to reconstruct the suspect’s route and escape.
“We are checking the cameras to see where the suspect started following the victim and how he escaped,”
said Sirichart, adding that the process had already made clear progress despite the motorbike having no license plate.
Public asked for help in identifying suspect
The police called on the public to report any information that could help identify or arrest the assailant. Investigators offered a 20,000-baht reward for tips leading directly to his capture and pointed to the continuing problem of street robberies at busy intersections, which particularly affect visitors and tuk-tuk passengers.