A bedridden Swiss man appealed for public assistance after a record collection valued at more than 12.5 million baht disappeared from his home in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan. He suspects a former Thai caregiver may have been involved.
Peter Kalt, the Swiss victim, filed a theft complaint with local police after his wife, Brigit, discovered that more than 1,000 vinyl records and 400 CDs were missing from a storage room at their home in the Hin Lek Fai subdistrict of Hua Hin.
According to Kalt, he and his wife believe the items may have been taken on May 2 while Brigit was away from the house for a massage appointment. Kalt was alone at the property at the time but said his leg condition left him unable to monitor activity around the home.
Kalt told police that he suspected a former female caregiver employed through a local nursing company. He claimed the woman had experienced financial difficulties and had previously asked him and his wife for money on several occasions.
The complaint was filed on May 5, after which police officers visited the property to gather evidence and examine the scene.
According to Kalt, investigators reviewed security camera footage from outside the house and observed the former caregiver leaving the property on a motorcycle carrying plastic bags that officers considered suspicious.
He said police informed him that they knew the identity of the caregiver in the footage. However, Kalt stated that he had not received further updates on the investigation and was unaware of any additional action being taken.
Frustrated by the lack of progress, Kalt contacted Hua Hin Today to publicise the case and appeal for information from members of the public.
The Swiss national estimated the value of the missing record collection at approximately 300,000 Swiss francs, equivalent to about 12.5 million baht. He said, however, that the sentimental significance was even greater than its financial value.
Kalt explained that he had spent decades building the collection while living and working in Chicago and Switzerland. Many of the records are rare editions that are difficult or impossible to replace.
He added that the collection reflects different periods of his life and preserves memories from throughout his interest in music.
Kalt believes the former caregiver may not have been aware of the collection’s true value but suspects she could have acted on behalf of someone with knowledge of rare records and their market worth.
The Swiss man is urging residents, expats and record collectors in Hua Hin to contact him or police if they encounter anyone attempting to sell rare music collections, particularly if the seller appears unlikely to have access such items.
At the time of publication, police had not provided any public update on the investigation.
The story Bedridden Swiss man suspects Hua Hin caregiver of record collection theft as seen on Thaiger News.
