A Pattaya coffee shop owner expressed fears of retaliation after a thief she helped police arrest escaped while being escorted to court the following day.
The woman recognised 42 year old Phatcharapon on the night of October 18 and identified him as the man who allegedly broke into her shop two months earlier and stole property worth more than 40,000 baht.
She and a friend reportedly invited Phatcharapon to drink beer with them before contacting police. Officers arrested him and took him to Mueang Pattaya Police Station for temporary detention.
On October 19, police escorted the suspect to Pattaya Provincial Court for further legal proceedings. However, he reportedly escaped while being taken from a police vehicle to the court.
The shop owner later visited the police station to ask about the incident. She told Channel 7 that she was worried Phatcharapon might track her down and retaliate against her for reporting him.
According to her account, officers had not handcuffed the suspect when they escorted him from the vehicle. He allegedly ran towards the rear of the court, climbed over a wall, took a bicycle and clothing belonging to local people, and fled towards the Phra Tamnak area.
Media reports said officers involved in the escort were searching for the suspect. A special committee could be established to assess their performance if he was not recaptured, although no formal decision was reported.
Phatcharapon was also reportedly linked to a separate robbery at a Pattaya condominium on September 3. According to the report, he and an alleged accomplice stole 150,000 baht in cash and gold necklaces worth more than 650,000 baht.
Police had not provided a further update on the suspect’s whereabouts at the time of the report.
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