Retired Officer Arrested for Armed Robbery in Lop Buri
A retired 66-year-old military officer has been arrested after attempting to rob a convenience store at gunpoint in Lop Buri Province, Thailand. The suspect, identified as Komsonthi, claimed financial distress as the motive for his actions.
The incident occurred shortly after midnight on July 10. Lop Buri’s 191 Radio Centre received an urgent call at 12:05 a.m. reporting a man brandishing a firearm inside a convenience store located at a petrol station along Chomphon Pibulsongkram Road in Mueang Lop Buri district.
Store employees, visibly shaken, described the frightening ordeal to police officers. One employee was working at the front of the store while another was eating in the back room. A security guard was stationed outside, and several customers were present inside the store.
According to witnesses, a man entered wearing a black coat, shorts, and a balaclava. He pulled out a handgun and demanded the store lights be turned off. Panicked, one employee fled to the back of the store, pursued briefly by the gunman.
The suspect then attempted to access the cash register but was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the employees managed to escape through the rear exit as chaos unfolded. Customers also fled the scene for safety.
After receiving the robbery report, Police Lieutenant Somnuk Kidtook, deputy superintendent of Lop Buri Police’s suppression division, dispatched patrol units to the area. They found the petrol station closed but the convenience store still operating under tense conditions.
The suspect fled in a grey Nissan van. Police quickly tracked the vehicle to a junction on Naresuan Road in the Khao Sam Yod subdistrict, about one kilometre from the crime scene. Officers found Komsonthi sitting inside the parked van alongside his wife, who operates a nearby food stall.
A search of the van revealed a .32 calibre revolver loaded with six bullets. Komsonthi was taken into custody and brought in for questioning. According to officers, his responses were unclear and disjointed.
His wife expressed shock at her husband’s alleged actions, telling police he had been helping her at the food stall before leaving to use the petrol station’s restroom. She said he returned acting normally and showed no signs of suspicious behaviour until police arrived and arrested him.
Store staff later identified Komsonthi as the man who attempted the armed robbery. His wife revealed that he suffers from mental health issues and bowel disease and has a medical appointment scheduled for later this month.
Appearing fatigued and mostly unresponsive during questioning, Komsonthi admitted only that he needed money. Police have charged him with carrying an unlicensed firearm in public without proper justification.
Additional charges related to attempted armed robbery are pending as investigators, led by Police Lieutenant Waree Sroisa-nga, review security camera footage and gather further evidence from witnesses.
The incident has raised concerns within the local community, highlighting the challenges posed by mental health issues and financial hardship, even among retired military personnel.
Police continue to urge citizens to report suspicious behaviour and remain vigilant, as the investigation into the attempted robbery moves forward.
