Brit tourists robbed by thieves on PHUKET
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The thieves, in handcuffs, re-enact the crime as the two English
victims look on.
KAMALA, PHUKET: A pair of of English tourists will leave Phuket today
with no pictures of their holiday to show friends back home – thanks
to the depredations of a trio of thieves in Kamala.
Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Thantipong and Kamala Police
yesterday afternoon held a press conference to announce the arrest of
two men wanted in connection with the snatch-and-run theft of an
English tourist’s shoulder bag on Sunday night.
The press conference included a re-enactment of the crime.
Englishwoman Alyson Ashforth, 30, and her companion Nicholas Gilmore
were walking back to their room at the Aquamarine Resort & Villa at
about 10:30 Sunday evening when the thieves struck in front of the
Rajaprajanukroh 36 School on the beach road.
Ms Ashforth filed a complaint with the Kamala Police, telling officers
that, as she was shifting the position of the bag from one shoulder to
the other, three men approached from behind on a motorbike, snatched
the bag and sped off.
The bag contained a Sony digital camera, some hand gel and cosmetics,
she told police.
Realizing the trio didn’t pick up any cash in the heist, Kamala Police
officers expected them to remain on the prowl.
As snatch-and-run crimes are, according to the police, uncommon in the
area, the Kamala officers coordinated with neighboring Cherng Talay
Police in trying to find the culprits. The effort paid off: two of the
three suspects were taken into custody on Srisoonthorn Rd Soi 11 in
Cherng Talay about half an hour later.
The two were identified as Jirawat Salee and Manoon Manabutr, both 18
years of age – not minors as reported by another media outlet.
Court indictment was scheduled for today on charges of conspiring to
commit a snatch-and-run theft using a vehicle, charges which could
land them in prison for up to seven years and six months.
The third suspect remains at-large and police are searching for him
now.
With their camera returned to them, all its photos deleted, Alyson and
Nicholas were scheduled to return to England today after a 14-day
holiday in Phuket.
“We want to know for sure, before we go back, that those guys are
going to jail because they deserve it, ” Ms Alyson said at the re-
enactment.
“One thing we don’t understand is why they had to view and delete all
the photos in our camera. Those photos really meant a lot to us,” she
said.
“Phuket is not a bad place to go on holiday at all. Even though we had
a bad experience our first time here we will be coming back again,”
she added.
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