Three teenagers are being sought after a gang led by a 15-year-old who was later caught beat up and robbed a Japanese tourist outside a convenience store in Bangkok early on Monday morning.
Pol Lt Col Sayam Insuwanno, deputy investigative chief of the Thung Mahamek police station, said on Tuesday police were seeking warrants for the arrest of three male teenagers suspected of assaulting and robbing a Japanese tourist.
Two of the suspects were 15 years old and the other 17.
They and another youth aged 15 allegedly bashed and robbed Goji Ota, 38, stealing his shoulder bag in front of a 7-Eleven convenience store on Narathiwat Ratchanakharin 5 Road in Thung Mahamek sub-district of Sathon district about 3am on Monday.
A surveillance camera at the convenience store filmed the robbery.
One of the 15-year-olds, from Pathum Thani province, was arrested at a police checkpoint in Talad Phlu sub-district of Thon Buri district on Monday evening. Police said he had with him the shoulder bag stolen from the Japanese tourist. It contained a quantity of Hong Kong and Singapore dollars and Chinese yuan worth about 30,000 baht in total, two credit cards and Mr Ota's ID card.
The arrested teenager confessed that he and three friends had met near Khlong Lot canal and had ridden around on two motorcycles looking for a victim to rob. They saw Mr Ota leaving the convenience store alone. So they grabbed two wooden batons about a metre long left on the footpath, hit the Japanese man and snatched his shoulder bag when he fell to the ground.
The arrested teenager said he had finished only fourth grade in primary school and dropped out because he was using methamphetamine. He had formed a small gang.
Four months ago they robbed an old person at a bus stop at Sanam Luang and made off with 500 baht and an ATM card, the teenager said. He had just been released on bail on another robbery case in the area under Bupharam police station.
Pol Maj Tawatchai Inthalay, an inspector of Talad Phlu station, said Mr Ota was a tourist. He arrived in Thailand on Sunday and stayed at a hotel on Narathiwat Ratchanakharin 7 Road. He was attacked and robbed early Monday. The man was admitted to BNH hospital.