PATTAYA, Thailand – Police in Pattaya have arrested two suspects accused of breaking into a luxury home on Pratumnak Hill and stealing brand-name watches worth more than 6.4 million baht.
The arrests were carried out on March 9 by officers from Pattaya City Police Station under the supervision of station chief Anek Srathongyu. Investigators detained two Thai men — Kritphong Boonchan, 26, and Nakarin Khemtis, 28 — and seized a black Chevrolet sedan believed to have been used during the crime and subsequent escape.
The case began on March 2 when a 30-year-old Thai woman, accompanied by her foreign husband and daughter, filed a complaint with police after their luxury residence in the Pratumnak Hill area was burglarized.
According to the report, two suspects wearing ski masks scaled the property wall before entering the house and stealing several valuables. Among the items taken were a Patek Philippe luxury watch belonging to the husband valued at around 6 million baht, and a Rolex watch belonging to the daughter valued at approximately 400,000 baht.
Police investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the surrounding area and identified a suspicious vehicle linked to the incident. The trail eventually led officers to a residence in the Noen Plub Wan area of Nongprue, East Pattaya, where both suspects were arrested.
During questioning, the suspects reportedly confessed to committing the burglary. They told police they had sold the stolen watches to obtain quick cash.
Investigators said the Rolex watch was sold in Bangkok for 55,000 baht, while the Patek Philippe watch was sold to a second-hand shop in Pattaya for only 110,000 baht, far below its market value.
Police later searched the second-hand shop and recovered the Patek Philippe watch, which is now being processed as evidence before it is returned to the rightful owner.
The suspects were taken back to the crime scene for a reconstruction of the burglary and have been charged with joint nighttime burglary in a dwelling. Authorities said the case will now proceed through the legal process.
