UDON THANI — An 80-year-old woman and her 35-year-old son have reported their teenage grandson to police for allegedly stealing gold and cash worth nearly 484,000 baht from their home in Ban Makkhaeng.
At 10:20 AM on June 11, Police Lieutenant Theeraphan Kaewphornyo of Mueang Udon Thani Police Station received the report from Chalo, the elderly victim, and her son Cha. The stolen items included gold jewellery weighing 9 baht, valued at approximately 453,798 baht (US$13,990), and 30,000 baht (US$925) in cash.
The valuables had been stored in a tin inside a plastic container, wrapped in a green necktie and hidden on Chalo’s bed under her elevated wooden house. The family strongly suspects 16-year-old Beer, Chalo’s grandson, who had been caring for her since May 18, to be the thief. Beer disappeared on June 8, coinciding with the time of the theft.
Chalo, who suffers from heart disease, had just undergone surgery at Udon Thani Central Hospital. Upon her recovery, she and her son filed the police report in hopes of recovering their stolen property.
Beer had been living with his mother in Non Tum village, Na Kha subdistrict, after his father’s death two to three years ago. Police visited the crime scene, comprising three old raised wooden houses on a one-rai plot. Chalo lives under the main house with her two dogs, while Cha lives upstairs.
The stolen container had been used to hold both daily living funds and emergency savings, including money Chalo had recently withdrawn for medical expenses.
Chalo shared that she and her late husband bought the land nearly 40 years ago for 80,000 baht (US$2,465). When asked if she’d sell it for more, she replied that she’d never part with it out of fear of becoming homeless.
Cha expressed heartbreak over the incident, stating that despite their difficult beginnings in Ayutthaya—once selling coconut ice cream to make ends meet—they had worked hard to secure their modest home and savings.
Local health volunteer Sawai, 74, described Chalo as honest and hardworking, adding that she had always supported her grandson quietly, even while battling illness.
Police believe Beer may have spotted the hidden valuables when Chalo withdrew money on June 7, and used the opportunity to flee with them the following day. Officers are working to locate him and determine the truth. If found guilty, he will be charged in accordance with juvenile laws, and efforts will be made to recover the stolen assets for Chalo and Cha.
