11-year-old boy caught stealing cars in Thailand
Youths have been arrested for crimes in Thailand before. But this case of an 11-year-old boy leaving a bag of poop in a stolen car, is definitely noteworthy.
The culprit, Mr. Ae Namsommuthi didn’t stop at just one car; the boy stole two vehicles in two different provinces – Phetchabun and Saraburi. He was apprehended by the police in Saraburi after he crashed into a lorry.
Crime in Thailand:
- Store owner’s CCTV catches spooky chair moving on its own
- Burglar falls asleep while robbing house
- Thai lady spots 3 “ghosts” via CCTV
- Thai man goes undercover as a cop to ace resort discounts
String of car thefts in Petchabun and Saraburi
Mr. Namsommuthi’s first offense was stealing a red Nissan pickup truck in Petchabun, which he managed to drive all the way to Saraburi. After the car ran out of petrol, he abandoned it in the province’s Chalermkiat District along with a pile of human faeces inside the vehicle, reported Sanook.
The perpetrator being apprehended in one of the stolen vehicles
Image credit: Amarin TV
In order to continue his odyssey back to Phetchabun, the 11-year-old hijacked a Mitsubishi vehicle, which he later drove into a lorry at one of Saraburi’s main roads. The accident drew attention to Mr. Namsommuthi, which led to his arrest.
Image credit: Amarin TV
It was estimated that he drove almost 200KM in total. He allegedly told investigators that he was 13 years old, and was driving from Bangkok to Phetchabun in order to visit his parents.
Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the suspect is actually an 11-year-old boy with a record of previous thefts.
Suspect targeted vehicles that were easy to jumpstart
This 11-year-old suspect reportedly stole three motorcycles in Phetchabun, reported Amarin TV. The reason for his success lay in his modus operandi. Mr. Namsommuthi made sure to only target vehicles that were easy to jumpstart and would evade suspicion by avoiding petrol stations. Instead, he opted to abandon the cars on the side of the road once the fuel ran out.
Image credit: Amarin TV
The owner of the stolen Nissan pick-up truck, Mr. Thannawat Boonnom, was in disbelief that a boy this young could be capable of stealing that many vehicles.
Mr. Thannawat Boonnom
Image credit: Amarin TV
A boy who wished to visit his parents
Although the 11-year-old boy claims to have stolen the vehicles to visit his parents in a faraway province, it’s a shame that he had to resort to such desperate measures.
Now that the suspect has been caught, we hope that the case will be resolved soon. Let’s also hope that no other children have to learn how to hotbox cars, just to see their mum and dad in the future.
Last week’s community news:
- Thai Construction crew Fixes Road In Heavy Flood
- Thai taxi uncle gives free snacks & gifts to customers
- Thai man buys geckos as a full-time job
Cover images adapted from: Amarin TV (Left), Rod Kaidee (Right)
Enjoying The Smart Local Thailand? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more stories like this.