Man arrested after robbing tourists in Phuket

Greek tourist Alexandros Alexiadis (right) and his family pose in an undated photo with their rented car, from where €4,900 was stolen in Phuket. (Photo: Achadtaya Chuenniran)

A man from Udon Thani has been arrested for stealing €4,900 (185,000 baht) from a Greek family’s car in Karon area of Muang district on Jan 25, police said.

Kanapong Sakhoncharoen, alias First, 24, was arrested at about 5pm in front of a Family Mart convenience store on Chao Fa Tawantok road in Phuket’s tambon Chalong on Saturday, 11 days after the theft.

Alexandros Alexiadis filed a complaint with Karon police on Jan 26. He said that on Jan 25 while a maid was cleaning the family’s room in Kata Ocean View Condominium, they decided to move the money from the room to their rental car in the parking area.

He forgot to lock the car and later discovered the money had gone missing. The theft was believed to have occurred between 8pm on Jan 25 and 2.30pm on Jan 26.

Mr Alexiadis and four other family members have been on vacation on the resort island for about one month.

The police conducted an investigation and managed to secure sufficient evidence for the arrest of Mr Kanapong, originally from was tambon Non Sung in Udon Thani’s Muang district, on a warrant issued by the Phuket Court. – Bangkok Post

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