Chiang Mai witnessed a crime that seemed to jump straight from the pages of a thriller novel. A man, barely 26 years old, was arrested for the murder of a ride-hailing driver and donning the victim’s uniform to rob a gold shop, walking away with gold necklaces valued at a whopping 2.8 million baht. The audacious suspect, revealed as Nipitpon, found himself in handcuffs at his house in San Um village in the Doi Saket district last Monday night.
According to police reports, Nipitpon meticulously planned his sinister act. At the crack of dawn, possibly during the serene early hours near Pha Lad Waterfall in Muang District, he summoned a ride-hailing driver. Once inside the car, he positioned himself behind the unwitting 48-year-old driver and sinisterly discharged a 9mm pistol into the back of the driver’s neck. Seizing control of the vehicle, he stealthily drove to a secluded ravine near Wat Pha Lad, where the driver met his tragic end.
By late morning, roughly around 11:30 am, Nipitpon, now cloaked in the fallen driver’s uniform, brazenly strode into CentralFestival Chiang Mai shopping centre. Without a hint of hesitation, he targeted the Aurora gold shop, swiftly making off with approximately 70 baht-weight of fine gold necklaces, equaling an eye-watering 2.8 million baht in value.
Post-robbery, Nipitpon abandoned the victim’s car at the Pha Lad waterfall. Resourcefully, he retrieved his own previously parked vehicle from the Kalae reservoir. Like a master schemer, he hit gold shops around Muang district, attempting to offload the stolen jewelry. However, keen-eyed shop owners, familiar with the distinctive Aurora logo on the ornaments, refused to buy them, suspecting foul play.
Undeterred, Nipitpon expanded his operations, visiting gold shops in San Kamphaeng and Doi Saket districts. His persistence paid off as he managed to sell two of the precious necklaces. However, his triumph was short-lived.
In a swift operation, the police apprehended Nipitpon, locating 17 gold necklaces at his residence, along with the incriminating 9mm pistol and the clothes he sported during the heist. The suspect was taken to Bhubing police station in Muang district where, under intense interrogation, he confessed to his chilling crimes.
This story is straight out of a crime novel. How can someone so young be that twisted and calculated?
It’s terrifying to think about what desperation or greed can drive someone to do. Our society needs to address the root causes.
Do we really think it’s just desperation? Some people are just born evil.
It’s more complex than that. Sure, some individuals might be predisposed, but environment plays a huge role.
The planning involved suggests more than just desperation. It’s like he enjoyed it. That’s chilling.
What was the security at the gold shop doing? This shouldn’t have been possible.
Exactly! They need better surveillance and maybe armed guards. Heists like these are why traditional gold shops need a major upgrade.
Security may help, but more importantly, we need preventive measures and better early warning systems in such vulnerable places.
Yes, Linda. Prevention is better than reaction. But also, proper training for staff can make a huge difference.
This guy is like a criminal mastermind, but I’m glad he got caught. Kudos to the police!
Yes, but it makes you wonder about the state of law enforcement and how often they miss such planned crimes.
I feel sorry for the ride-hailing driver and his family. The poor man was just doing his job.
Absolutely. These drivers are often underpaid and overworked, and now one of them lost his life in such a horrific way.
It’s important to remember the victims in these stories. Too much focus on the criminal can be harmful.
Gold shops should make sure their products are unique and trackable, like having serial numbers etched on them.
Not a bad idea, Anna. It would make it much harder for criminals to offload stolen goods without being tracked.
Implementing such a system would be complex and expensive. The industry might resist due to costs.
I can’t believe he managed to sell even some of the necklaces. The shop owners need better awareness and caution.
The shop owners probably didn’t want to lose out on a sale. Greed can cloud judgment, unfortunately.
The sad thing is, after all this, he probably won’t even spend that long in jail. Our justice system needs to be tougher on such severe crimes.
Agreed, there’s always the possibility of early release for ‘good behavior’. It’s a slap in the face to the victim’s family.
Rita raises a good point. Punishment needs to match the gravity of the crime. Otherwise, what’s the deterrence?
This story is such a mix of horror and intrigue. Imagine if he hadn’t been caught, what next?
Are these incidents becoming more common, or is it just the media highlighting them more?