Hostage drama in broad daylight
The shocking incident unfolded on 17 September at the Por Udomsuk Goldshop in Ban Mo district. CCTV footage shows a man aged between 30 and 40 arriving on a motorbike with no licence plate. Wearing a helmet and mask, he stormed into the shop and seized 57-year-old customer Sureenut Buasri as a hostage. With a knife pressed against her waist, he threatened shop owner Nanthawan Piamkhiew: “Give me the gold, or something bad will happen!” Terrified for their lives, the owner handed over 15 gold chains worth 240,000 Baht. The masked man then fled the scene, speeding off in the direction of Ayutthaya.
Traumatised victims and tragic twist
For hostage Sureenut, the ordeal was especially devastating. Moments before the raid, she had pawned a ring to pay for her grandson’s medical treatment. “I feared for my life,” the visibly shaken woman later told police. Thankfully, she was not physically harmed. Police said the robber declared during the raid that he needed money urgently to cover gambling debts. The brazen attack marked the second robbery at the same goldshop in just two months. In the previous case, the suspect was quickly arrested – but this time the hunt is proving far tougher.
Police hunt and security concerns
Investigators are now analysing CCTV footage and have launched a manhunt. “We are following several strong leads,” an officer confirmed. The criminal appeared highly organised: no licence plate, fully masked, and with a clear escape plan. The case echoes a 14 August robbery in Samut Prakan, when a man disguised as a delivery driver stole more than 8 million Baht in gold. Police are probing possible links between the two heists. The repeat attacks highlight serious security gaps in Thailand’s goldshops, many of which remain poorly protected and easy prey for criminals. Officers urge shop owners to install panic buttons, reinforce vaults and showcases, and even consider armed guards in high-risk areas. The search for the fugitive continues. Detectives are banking on eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage from nearby streets, but fear he may have already slipped into another province. Police insist they will stop at nothing to track him down – not just for the stolen gold, but because the violent hostage drama could so easily have ended in bloodshed.