2-11-2023 (BANGKOK) A would-be Halloween celebration took an unexpected turn when a thief found himself ambushed by undercover police officers in skeleton costumes.
The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Wanchai Saeng-udom, allegedly stole multiple items, including five iPads and a laptop, valued at over 100,000 baht (S$3,795) from a restaurant in Bangkok’s Silom district, as reported by Khaosod English.
Wanchai fled the scene on the night of October 20, and a warrant for his arrest was issued on October 26, according to the Thairath newspaper.
Police Major General Teeradej Thumsutee, commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau’s Investigation Division, received a tip that Wanchai and his girlfriend would be watching the horror movie “Death Whispering: Tee Yod” at a cinema on Halloween night (October 31), reported Thai PBS World.
An undercover investigation team dressed as skeletons and wore Halloween masks to blend in with other moviegoers for over three hours. Finally, they spotted their target, as reported by The Thaiger.
As Wanchai prepared to enter the cinema, the undercover officers approached him and his girlfriend, asking to take a photo with the couple. They then revealed their true identities as police officers and arrested him.
According to the Thai police, Wanchai confessed to the charges, explaining that he had stolen the items in anger after quitting his job at the restaurant due to a disagreement with his colleagues. He attempted to resell the stolen items but was cheated and did not make the money he had hoped for.
Wanchai has a history of several criminal offenses, including drug dealing, gambling, and theft, and had recently been released from prison.
