A rescue team in Ayutthaya purchased a ventilator on Bangkok's black market, but when it broke down and was taken for repair, it was discovered to be stolen. They then contacted Loei Hospital to return the equipment as a gesture of good faith. Meanwhile, police are preparing to issue arrest warrants for the perpetrators and have identified leads to the stores that bought the ventilators.
This follows the case where police from Mueang Loei Police Station found medical equipment dumped in the Loei River near Khon Daeng Bridge, Na An Subdistrict, Mueang Loei District—two units—and at Loei River near Fak Loei–Ban Mai Bridge, Kut Pong Subdistrict, Mueang Loei District—three units—and at Nam Huai Bridge, Na Pong Subdistrict, Mueang Loei District, where 10 units were found last night (18 Mar 2026), totaling 15 units. Investigation revealed that Chinnawat Chatraksa, 30, an employee of Loei Hospital, stole ventilators from the hospital and sold them on the black market in Bangkok and Khon Kaen, as previously reported.
Regarding this matter, on 19 March 2026, reporters followed up on the case's progress. Last night, villagers found ten stolen ventilator wheeled base frames abandoned at Nam Huai Bridge, Na Pong Subdistrict, Mueang Loei District. Investigators have secured the evidence at Mueang Loei Police Station, noting that the equipment had been dismantled and sold off completely.
It is also known that on 4 March 2026, the hospital's legal officer filed a theft complaint against Chinnawat Chatraksa, 30, an employee of Loei Hospital, accusing him of stealing property from a government facility.
By around 10 March 2026, a rescue and emergency team from Ayutthaya purchased a ventilator on Bangkok's black market. When it malfunctioned and was taken for repair, the shop checked the serial number and found it was stolen from Loei Hospital. The rescue team then contacted the hospital to return the property and demonstrate their innocence by meeting with the investigating officer and returning one ventilator valued at 197,000 baht.
The store that bought the ventilators has now been identified and advertised sales on a Facebook page. Police are gathering evidence, while the perpetrator remains at large. It is expected that today the Loei Provincial Court will approve arrest warrants.
A friend of the suspect, also a rescue worker in Loei Province, said the suspect was diligent and responsible but recently became addicted to gambling on slot machines, accumulating debt, which led him to steal ventilators from Loei Hospital.