Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya — A crafty thief sneaked into the home of a police lieutenant colonel to steal valuables. The homeowner saw the act live on his mobile phone via CCTV and quickly called neighbors to assist in pursuing the suspect. A struggle ensued, but the thief was eventually caught in a battered state.
On 7 August 2026 in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, reporters learned that a thief broke into a house within a village in Village No. 3, Khlong Sra Bua Subdistrict, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District. The home belongs to a police officer with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The homeowner viewed live CCTV footage on his mobile phone and saw a man wearing a green shirt stealing inside the house. He immediately called his son and neighbors to check the situation, and they helped track down and apprehend the suspect along with a large amount of stolen goods.
The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on 6 August 2026. The homeowner, a police officer, saw Mr. Pongphop Naruban, 40, from Bang Pa Han Subdistrict, Bang Pa Han District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, sneaking into the house and carrying out steel and various valuables. The owner quickly contacted his son and neighbors to help intercept and capture the suspect.
The suspect tried to escape through the forest behind the house but was tracked down and caught about 500 meters away in the bushes. He was injured from resisting arrest and appeared battered. He was then tied up with nylon rope to prevent further escape while awaiting police arrival.
Upon inspection, authorities found steel and numerous tools. Inside the suspect’s bag were knives, burglary equipment, and a coil of stripped copper wire, believed to be intended for sale.
Mr. Nueng, a friend of the homeowner’s son who helped apprehend the thief, revealed that the house had been targeted twice before, losing more than 1,000 amulets, a 55-inch television, and other valuables. However, the perpetrators were never caught until this time when the CCTV alert sent a signal to the owner’s phone, allowing neighbors and locals to coordinate and catch the suspect promptly.
Ms. Da, another neighbor, showed the path along the forest behind the village used by the thief to escape. The house is often used to store many items and has been broken into multiple times. The thief brazenly returned to steal again. The homeowner saw the thief live on his phone and called her. She rushed over and saw the thief pushing a cart loaded with stolen goods. She tried to take a photo but couldn’t, so she quickly gathered neighbors to help capture the thief, who fled into the forest but was caught.
Later, police patrol officers arrived at the scene, took the suspect and seized items into custody, and sent them to the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Police Station for legal proceedings. Authorities are also investigating whether the suspect is linked to previous theft cases in the area.