Girlfriend left on the shelf
A Buri Ram mother is appealing for justice after her son was dumped by the woman to whom he was engaged, while admitting he kept her waiting for more than three years as he struggled to raise a dowry.
Khun Sanitnok, 54, accompanied by son Owen, 20, a driver, complained to Chalerm Phrakiat police last week. She sought the return of a gold necklace, worth one baht weight in gold, which Owen gave his betrothed as an engagement present.
Owen said he and his girlfriend, known in media reports as "A", were engaged on Dec 3, 2019. He and his family visited her home in the district and formally asked for her hand.
Both sides agreed he would pay a dowry of 100,000 baht and give her two baht's weight of gold. As a down payment, he gave her the necklace.
Later, he noticed A was drawing close to a youngster called "M", whom she insisted was merely a friend of her brother-in-law. "I told her not to see him as I felt possessive but she said they were simply like brother and sister, nothing closer," he said.
Ultimately their relationship developed to the point where A and M decided to get engaged, even though she was still ostensibly committed to Owen.
"She didn't call it off and we didn't hear from her family," said Owen's mother unhappily. "We have gone to the police because she broke the agreement."
The young man said A had injured his pride by complaining that he lacked the means to raise the dowry. Try as he might, he was not able to raise a dowry of 100,000 baht, which in Buri Ram, for a young man starting his career, is no easy feat.
"We agreed she would wait for me to finish university and get past conscription first; after that I would make a dedicated effort to raise the money," he said.
He wasn't to get the chance, as A started seeing M first.
Owen admits he thought killing rival M. "But an image of my mother swam into view and I realised that if I went to jail there would be no one to look after my parents," he said.
Ms Khun, Owen's Mum, said the families set no date for the wedding, though they thought it might take another six months. "He couldn't raise the dowry so they put it off and kept seeing each other.
"Owen agreed to get engaged to take responsibility, as A was two months pregnant. Later we found out later she had an abortion, and had started seeing the other man," she complained.
"If A is now engaged to someone else, I would like the gold back."
A, for her part, said she felt humiliated to be kept waiting so long, as locals suspected he had lost interest. "The locals knew we were engaged and started to gossip," A told the media after news of Owen's visit to the police went public.
Owen took reporters to A's place, where reports say they happened to witness an engagement party in full swing. A's father shoo-ed them away and forbade reporters from taking pictures of A's engagement to M.
However, A came out later to put her side of the story, saying she had given Owen three years, and he still hadn't married her.
"I am not willing to return the gold as I am the damaged party; I too am asking for fairness," she said. The drama continues.
Unexpected shot to the head
An Ang Thong man accidentally killed his mate while also taking his own life in a Russian roulette prank gone wrong.
Bang Pa-in police in Ayutthaya found the pair dead at a roadside khao tom (rice soup) eatery on Rojana Road on Feb 18. They were part of a group of six who had met there for a meal and drinks.
Likit "Beer" Kammee, 31, originally from Ang Thong, was found slumped dead at the table, with a bullet wound in his right temple.
The body of the other man, Ekkalak "Keng" Intharak, 20, was found slumped on the footpath underneath. Police found bullets scattered about nearby, a legacy of a Russian roulette stunt which took both their lives.
Likit, his mates say, had pulled out his gun to show off, emptied the bullets into a drinking glass, held the weapon up to his forehead and pressed the trigger.
Unfortunately, he failed to empty the gun properly. Unknown to Likit, there was still one bullet left in the chamber. When he spun the revolver and squeezed the trigger of the weapon, it fired.
The bullet passed through his head, killing him. Owing to their close proximity, it also hit Keng, who was sitting next to him. He died too.
Police found .38 on the table, with a spent shell in the chamber. They also found a bullet in a glass, four scattered on the table, and one underneath.
Oiy, owner of the shop, said Keng and his mates had turned up from an earlier outing at a local pub where they had partied on a schoolboy theme; Keng was wearing a primary school uniform when he died.
Veerapong Mekbut, 23, also among the drinkers at the table, said he had picked up Likit from his home in Ang Thong and brought him to Ayutthaya so he could see his mates.
Likit, he said, was crippled from an accident 10 years ago when he was shot in the back and paralysed. "I invited him for a drink, though he did not go to the party at the pub with us but waited at the shop," he said.
Prathum Pongsuchon, 56, Ekka-lak's mother, said the young man's family had high hopes for him, and called him constantly as they worried about his welfare.
"He told me that he was due to report for the conscription draw in April and if he was not chosen to serve would enter a temple to make merit for us, his parents. However, a stray bullet killed him first," she said in tears.
Police sent the bodies for an autopsy at Thammasat University Hospital in Pathum Thani.
What's yours is really mine
A Nong Khai man was on his pushbike when he spotted a gold shop and on an impulse decided to rob it.
Ban Pheu police in Udon Thani nabbed Charaswong, 34, originally from Nong Khai province, after he tried walking out of Porncharoen Yaowarat gold shop clutching a necklace, almost like an absent-minded customer who had forgotten to pay.
Far from grabbing the necklace or making a run for it, Charaswong was leaving as casually as he arrived, only to find staff, alert to his mischief, had locked the doors from inside. He did not appear to be carrying any weapon and staff did not mention him making any threats.
A CCTV camera shows Charaswong, apparently resigned to his fate, calmly handing back the necklace, worth one baht in gold. Staff in the shop made light of the encounter; in the CCTV clip, they are heard laughing.
Speaking to police, Charaswong admitted trying to steal from the store, saying he was biking past on a 20km trip from his place when he thought he would try his luck.
He had come to town for a look around and was on his way home when he saw the shop. He parked his bike, walked in and asked to see the necklace.
Staff say they gave it to him reluctantly, as he was heavily disguised for a regular customer: Charaswong was wearing shades, a jacket, cap and sanitary mask.
After the staff handed over the necklace he got off his seat at the display counter and turned to walk out only to find he couldn't get past the door. His getaway vehicle was to be his trusty if aged yellow pushbike.
Police, who say a background check shows he has no prior history of offending, charged him with attempted theft.
