PATTAYA, THAILAND – Three British nationals were placed in pre-trial detention after an armed home invasion in Pattaya and continued to firmly deny the allegations.
Arrests and First Court Appearance
The three men were brought to the Pattaya Provincial Court on the morning of 2 March by the provincial police, after being arrested in different parts of Thailand and transferred from police custody to Nong Prue. According to reporters present, they appeared relaxed during their first appearance.
They greeted journalists with a casual “How are you?”, and one suspect even asked members of the press for cigarettes before boarding the prison transport vehicle. The court proceedings took place while they were being held in investigative detention on suspicion of involvement in a serious robbery.
Suspects and Allegations
Police identified the accused as Palmer Jermain (20), who was detained at the Padang Besar border crossing in Sadao district in Songkhla province, Christopher Erance (38), who was arrested at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, and Taihool Junior Michael Campbell (32), who was taken into custody at a hotel in Prakhon Chai district in Buriram province. All three faced a joint robbery charge.
Another as yet unidentified white British man remained a person of interest and was still being questioned in police custody. A previously questioned fifth Briton was apparently no longer a focus for investigators, according to current information.
Sequence of the Raid and Alleged Haul
The home invasion took place on the night of 26 February 2026 in a two-storey townhouse in Chokchai Village 9, Moo 10. Masked perpetrators armed with knives reportedly entered the house of 32‑year‑old British chef Wesleigh Cyril Russell and his Thai partner, threatened the occupants and removed a safe.
According to the victim, the safe contained more than 2 million baht in cash, which had allegedly been withdrawn shortly beforehand for a planned house purchase. Mobile phones were also taken, and the assailants fled in a vehicle that rammed the gate of the housing estate as it left the compound.
Investigation and Evidence
Police arrested the three main suspects by late 28 February, after investigators from several units combined information on escape movements and hideouts. These units included the Nong Prue Police Station, Region 2 Provincial Police investigators in Chonburi and the Immigration Police.
During a search of an apartment in the Jomtien area, officers said they seized items believed to be connected to the crime and secured potential escape routes. Forensic specialists from the Police Forensic Office Region 2 took DNA samples from the suspects to compare with fingerprints collected at the crime scene.
Suspects’ Statements and International Attention
In initial interrogations on 1 March, the accused denied any involvement and gave evasive and unhelpful statements, according to investigators. One of the men reportedly displayed conspicuous behavior and claimed to be in poor mental health, coupled with a request for a psychiatric assessment.
Despite this, investigators expressed confidence in their evidence and presented surveillance videos. They said the footage showed the alleged perpetrators changing vehicles and wearing the same clothing as on the night of the crime.
The case drew international attention because British suspects were alleged to have specifically targeted the house of a British compatriot in a busy holiday resort. Police considered the possibility of an insider offence but had not yet provided further details on the suspected motive.
Over 2 million baht disappeared and attempts to leave the country at a border and an airport added to public scrutiny. In court, the accused rejected any link to organized crime, insisting they were not part of such structures.
“We are not mafia.”
said one of the suspects, according to local media reports.