Police Lt. Col. Tarathep Tupanit inspects the
scene of the crime.
Boonlua Chatree
Burglars beat and robbed a British-Thai couple in their
Pratamnak Hill home, escaping with nearly a million baht in cash and
jewelry.
David Snell, 62, and his 52-year-old wife Benja Semlek
suffered serious blows to the head from a hammer wielded by the thieves to
extract the location of a safe. Frightened for her life, Benja told them
where the safe was hidden in the bedroom of their Majestic Resort Village
Home and the same hammer was used to pry it open.
After being transported to Pattaya International Hospital
for treatment, the couple said the burglars escaped with the equivalent of
800,000 baht in euros, Rolex watch, diamonds and gold jewelry.
Swimming pool cleaner Charoenchai Koktabtim, 32, said he
arrived at the Soi Kasetsin house just after the burglary to find Snell
running from the house covered in blood. Inside the Nakhon Sawan native
discovered Benja lying on the bed, her arms tied behind her with a belt.
Snell had managed to escape similar belt bondage to call for help.
Lt. Col. Tarathep Tupanit speculated that the thieves
knew the couple’s routine well and knew when they’d be alone so they could
be coerced into giving up their property. An investigation is now under way.
