PATTAYA, Thailand – A food vendor from Phetchabun has appealed to police for urgent action after his motorcycle was brazenly stolen in front of his shop in Pattaya, with CCTV footage showing the theft took less than one minute. Despite filing a police report and submitting video evidence, the case has seen little progress, raising fears the suspects may strike again.
At around 3:40 a.m. on December 13, reporters were contacted by Junawat Boontham, 34, a Phetchabun native who runs a made-to-order food stall in Soi Wat Boon Samphan (Khao Noi), East Pattaya. His motorcycle was stolen on December 9 at approximately 8:00 p.m. from outside his shop.
The incident occurred in front of “Mum Lub Coffee” in the Khao Noi area. The stolen vehicle is a grey Honda Wave 125i motorcycle with Chonburi registration.
Junawat said his girlfriend had just returned from buying ice for the shop and went to the restroom, while he was resting inside. Moments later, he woke up to find the motorcycle gone. The entire theft took less than a minute.
He later filed a police report with investigators at Banglamung Police Station, where the incident was officially recorded. Officers advised him to personally obtain CCTV footage from nearby locations to help with the investigation.
The victim managed to collect footage from several CCTV cameras around Pattaya. The video shows two male suspects arriving together on another motorcycle. One suspect dismounted, mounted Mr. Junawat’s motorcycle, pushed it away from the scene, then started the engine and fled. The suspects escaped along the railway road before turning into Soi Khao Talo. The theft was completed in less than one minute.
Speaking emotionally, Junawat said the motorcycle is essential to his livelihood. He uses it to earn extra income through ride-hailing applications and his girlfriend relies on it to buy fresh ingredients each morning for their food business. Since the theft, their daily life and income have been severely affected.
Adding to his frustration, when he brought the CCTV evidence to the assigned investigator, he was informed the officer was off duty at the time, causing further delays. To date, there has been no visible progress in tracking down the suspects.
Junawat is now urging police to accelerate the investigation and apprehend the perpetrators, warning that if no action is taken, the same suspects may return to commit further crimes, causing hardship for other vendors and residents in the Pattaya area.
