Pol. Lt. Gen. Nopphasin closed the case on the 'Straw Hat Thief' who robbed a gold shop at a famous Sukhumvit 50 mall by leading a team to Chiang Rai, capturing the suspect immediately before he fled to a neighboring country.
The case involves a gun-wielding robber who committed a gold shop theft inside a shopping mall in the Sukhumvit area, under Phra Khanong Police Station's jurisdiction, escaping with approximately 198 baht weight of gold and about 170,000 baht in cash, totaling losses over 10 million baht.
The latest update on 19 Feb 2026: Pol. Lt. Gen. Siam Boonsom, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, ordered Pol. Lt. Gen. Nopphasin Poolsawat, Commander attached to the Royal Thai Police Office, to operate with the Metropolitan Police investigation team in the 'Chasing the Straw Hat Thief' operation for over three full weeks, tracking the disguised suspect wearing a wig, following the escape routes believed to have been used.
On 19 Feb, Pol. Lt. Gen. Nopphasin Poolsawat led a team including Pol. Maj. Gen. Chotiwat Luangwilai, Commander of the Metropolitan Police Investigation Division, along with detectives from the Metropolitan Police and Phra Khanong Police Station, to Chiang Rai where they arrested 29-year-old Mr. Chalo Kuikaew, suspect wanted for nighttime robbery with a weapon, unlawful entry through barriers protecting people or property, using a vehicle to facilitate the crime or escape. The arrest occurred at the black-clad men's shelter at Mae Suai Dam, Mae Suai District, Chiang Rai Province, as he was preparing to flee abroad.
Initially, the suspect confessed to the gold robbery. Police are currently conducting further questioning before transferring him back to Phra Khanong Police Station, where the crime took place, to proceed with legal action.