Police question the suspect at Bhubing police station in Muang district, Chiang Mai, on Monday night. (Photo from the Facebook page of the police station)
CHIANG MAI: A 26-year-old man has been apprehended on suspicion of a chilling set of crimes that has sent shockwaves through the community. Accused of murdering a ride-hail driver and then daringly donning the victim’s uniform to rob a gold shop of necklaces valued at about 2.8 million baht, the man, known only as Nipitpon, was taken into custody Monday night.
Pol Lt Gen Kotthapol Yeesakhon, commander of Provincial Police Region 5, recounted the grisly series of events. Early Monday morning, Nipitpon had summoned a ride near the scenic Pha Lad waterfall in Muang district. Posing as a harmless passenger, he allegedly took a seat behind the 48-year-old driver and, with chilling calculation, used a 9mm pistol to fire a fatal shot to the back of the driver’s neck. He then commandeered the vehicle, driving it to a secluded ravine close to Wat Pha Lad, where he disposed of the body.
As the clock approached 11:30 am, a man clad in the deceased driver’s uniform was seen striding into the bustling CentralFestival Chiang Mai shopping center. With unnerving audacity, he made his way to the Aurora gold shop and swiftly executed a robbery, seizing about 70 baht-weight of gold necklaces, amassing an estimated value of 2.8 million baht.
After the heist, the culprit fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, stashing it near the familiar Pha Lad waterfall. He then made his escape in his personal car, strategically parked earlier at Kalae reservoir.
The authorities revealed that Nipitpon attempted to sell the stolen gold necklaces at various gold shops within Muang district. However, the shopkeepers, recognizing the Aurora stamp, declined to purchase the items. Undeterred, Nipitpon ventured to other gold shops in San Kam Phaeng and Doi Saket districts where his efforts bore fruit, managing to offload two of the necklaces.
The breakthrough came when police, during a raid at Nipitpon’s residence in Ban San Um of tambon Choeng Doi, Doi Saket district, recovered 17 gold necklaces. Additionally, they seized the 9mm pistol believed to have been used in the heinous crime and the clothes that matched eyewitness descriptions.
At Bhubing police station in Muang district, Nipitpon faced an intense interrogation. Faced with overwhelming evidence, he confessed to the sequence of violent acts, bringing a sense of relief but also raising numerous questions about what drove him to such desperate measures.
This is absolutely horrifying. What drives someone to commit such a brutal murder and then pull off a gold heist as if it’s just another day at work?
Some people are just psychopaths. They don’t need much reason to kill. Maybe he was just desperate for money and saw this as a quick way out.
Desperation doesn’t justify murder. The problem is deeper than that. Maybe there’s a history of untreated mental illness or substance abuse.
True. It’s a complex issue, but it’s also a failure of our social systems to catch these people before they go off the deep end.
I can’t believe he managed to rob a gold shop in broad daylight! Where was the security?
Honestly! This shows a huge lapse in security. How can someone just walk in and walk out with millions worth of gold?
It’s not just the gold shop’s fault. The whole mall’s security needs to be re-evaluated. If he could pull this off, who knows what else could happen?
I feel for the driver’s family. Losing someone in such a horrific way must be devastating.
The poor family. They will be haunted by this forever. No one expects their loved one to leave for work and never come back because of something so mindless.
Yes, it’s horrible. The worst part is that people might focus more on the heist and less on the fact that a man was murdered in cold blood.
Exactly. The real tragedy here is the senseless loss of a life. I hope the family gets justice.
This is what happens when you have lax gun laws. How did he even get a 9mm pistol?
Guns don’t kill people; people kill people. If someone wants to commit a crime, they’ll find a way. Banning guns won’t change that.
But having easier access to guns certainly makes it easier to commit such crimes.
Agreed, Jane. There needs to be stricter control. We’re talking about taking lives here.
Selling stolen gold at shops? That’s amateur level stupidity. He thought he could just cash it in without getting caught?
Criminals are often desperate and make rash decisions. It’s not surprising.
But there are pawns shops for that kind of thing. It’s like he wasn’t even trying to cover his tracks.
How do you not notice someone wearing a blood-stained uniform in a mall? Are people that oblivious?
People are too wrapped up in their own world these days. No one pays attention to anyone else if it doesn’t directly affect them.
Sad but true. We’ve lost the sense of community and concern for our surroundings.
And that same bubble mentality is why we miss warning signs until it’s too late. Awareness can save lives.
Good work by the police to catch him so quickly.
Agreed. They moved fast. Shows what effective police work looks like.
Yeah, but it’s a shame the crime happened in the first place. Prevention is key.
It’s going to be hard for Chiang Mai’s gold shops to regain trust after this. People are going to be extra cautious now.
You’re right. Trust once broken is tough to rebuild. Especially when people’s lives are at stake.
What a tragic chain of events. Kudos to the investigators who managed to piece it all together so swiftly and accurately.
Chiang Mai isn’t safe anymore. These types of crimes are becoming way too common.
I wouldn’t go that far. This seems like an isolated incident and police did a good job handling it.
Maybe, but it still sends chills down my spine. If something like this can happen once, who’s to say it won’t happen again?