Phuket Money Exchange Raided in 3 Minutes by Disguised Thief

A daring robbery at a prominent mall in Phuket has shocked shoppers and business owners after a thief, disguised as a foreign tourist, managed to crack open a currency exchange safe and escape with over 600,000 baht in just three minutes. The incident occurred late on the night of July 19, just as the mall was preparing to close. Security footage revealed the suspect walking directly to the unattended currency exchange booth without hesitation. He was seen wearing a dark blue cap, a black jacket with white stripes, dark sunglasses, rubber gloves, and a fake mustache and beard, all designed to convincingly portray a foreign visitor. The thief demonstrated remarkable speed and precision, directly approaching the heavy safe and entering the digital passcode. He opened the solid metal door within seconds, indicating prior knowledge of the combination. He then swiftly grabbed stacks of cash, including Thai baht, Euros, Russian rubles, US dollars, and Swiss francs, with a total value of 627,083 baht, and left unnoticed. The 67-year-old owner of the exchange booth reported the theft the following morning. Police Colonel Somsak Thongkliang is leading the investigation, with officers reviewing all security cameras inside and outside the mall to trace the suspect's escape route. Investigators strongly suspect the thief is a local Thai individual who used the disguise to mislead them. A key focus of the investigation is how the highly secure safe was opened so easily. Given that only a select few trusted individuals knew the passcode, police are questioning business partners and local staff, strongly suspecting an inside job. They are working to apprehend the clever thief and hopefully recover the stolen funds. Local businesses in Phuket have been advised to enhance their security measures.