In May 2025, Naek Chalee was burglarized; all his valuable lifetime collections vanished. Over a thousand precious items, including a 100-year-old antique violin, disappeared. Missing items include the century-old violin, guitars, a cello, about 64 firearms, and the burglars even removed the air conditioners, leaving the house empty. Damages were estimated at 50 million baht.
He believes the culprits are close acquaintances and has reported the crime, but the case has not advanced and stolen items have not been returned. Although there were reports of arrests, the case remains stagnant. Naek and his team identified the suspects as “On” and “Tee,” who cracked the safe, but police only said, “The criminals are in jail, waiting for prosecution to be finalized.”
Now, over a year later, Naek has shared an update on the case and expressed his long-held frustrations. He said none of the stolen items have been returned; the guns he received back were "toy guns" meant only for display on the wall. Meanwhile, the burglars are living comfortably, with new cars and better homes.
“25 Jul 2026 — Marking this memory (an ending as expected)
If you don’t like me, I apologize. Please scroll past this post. If you don’t want to hear bad news that’s not your problem, I’m sorry to disturb you. After more than a year, I truly admit I miss my guns very much. Today, the police station told me to come collect my guns, but what I received were toy guns used as wall decorations.
As for the 62 legally licensed collectible guns, I have not gotten any back. Cash, gold, and other valuables worth tens of millions are not even worth mentioning.
Throughout the past year, the only thing I have asked for is the return of my guns. Each gun holds great sentimental value to me. It took a long time to acquire each one, entrusted by previous owners who trusted me to keep and care for them. I have maintained them well and never fired a single round. Many guns are over 100 years old. I carefully preserve them and have never used them for photos or boasting.
But last year, I faced a group who broke into my safe and stole many valuables from my home, which was securely locked with nearly 3-meter-high walls. Crucially, the culprits were caught within two days of the burglary. We knew who cracked the safe and who stole items, with fingerprint evidence and many proofs; the offenders confessed. Their homes are just opposite the Crime Suppression Division.
Despite evidence and confessions, nothing was done. The police told me, “Calm down, we will handle it.” They advised me not to escalate the matter to avoid difficulties in recovering items. They said they would negotiate with the thieves and warned me not to catch, hurt, or touch the suspects because laws protect them.
I thought, if it were your personal gun stolen—only one—and you knew who took it, had full evidence, and caught the thief, you would do everything to find where it was hidden and get it back. But what I experienced was the police talking nicely with the thieves and simply telling them, “Please return the items.”
Then the suspects were released from the police station to retrieve one gun to return to me, assuring me, “He’s a good person, don’t worry. He’ll keep returning them gradually until all are recovered.” I don’t know what was behind the scenes that made them return only one gun. That was the first time I got anything back.
In the end, all the thieves were released without jail time or compensation. Over the past year, the only response from police was, “We are following up on the matter.”
Meanwhile, as I waited for answers, the thieves lived comfortably, moving from the community opposite the Crime Suppression Division to new homes and better accommodations with new cars.
Until March, my case resurfaced as big news. For the first time, I saw journalists interview the thieves, who admitted on camera to breaking into my home and stealing my valuables. To me, it was both laughable and disgusting that those who cracked the safe, broke in, and stole tens of millions worth of property could live happily and normally with almost no punishment.
After the media spotlight, police appeared more eager, quickly arresting the thieves and telling me to stay calm. They also told reporters not to make the case bigger to ease recovery. Yet the next day, police told me, “Good news: We found two more guns, and the safecracker will return them.”
Yes, I don’t understand why everything was silent for over a year with no progress, but a single news day led to the thieves returning two more guns immediately. I was also informed that the investigating officer had been changed.
After the news, the arrested thieves were sent to prison. I wondered why they were rushed into jail after the case became public and why no further investigation was done beforehand. The answer I got today was: “All suspects are now in prison, so further investigation isn’t possible. To summon them would require prison procedures, which are complicated, and even if summoned, they likely wouldn’t talk as they know they’ll be imprisoned.”
I have repeatedly asked why, during the year, when thieves returned items multiple times, no investigation was done despite numerous opportunities. For example, reviewing CCTV when guns were returned could reveal where and from whom items were exchanged. This seemingly simple step was never taken, even though lost items are worth tens of millions and could be dangerous if in the wrong hands.
I think this was a good chance for police to demonstrate investigative skills. When the case was public, criticism of the police was widespread. But as no follow-up was made, I can’t help but wonder if there’s some reason the CCTV wasn’t reviewed, perhaps to avoid uncovering something or someone.
I apologize if this message disturbs anyone, but I am truly frustrated and want to use my platform to vent my experiences. I will probably write more to make a record. Finally, I think if even I must face this, ordinary citizens going through the same would feel even more stressed and hopeless. Sorry again if my message disturbs many.
Many who read Naek Chalee’s post have commented with support and concern, surprised by how heavy his burden has been.
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