Thieves in Samut Prakan didn’t stop at trying to break into an automated teller machine for the 2 million baht inside, they stole the entire ATM.
Police in the province early Monday inspected the empty booth where the Bank of Ayudhya ATM used to be on Soi King Kaew 22/1 in Bang Phli district. A bank security officer called authorities after he discovered the cash machine had disappeared from the Racha Thewa sub-district kiosk.
Pol Capt Chavanai Marnsri of Bang Kaew police station's investigative unit, said at least two robbers used a blowtorch to cut bolts securing the ATM to a concrete foundation, loaded it onto a truck and fled.
Cash machines are notoriously difficult to open without destroying the currency inside.
Jirapas Siwachan, who oversees security for the bank's ATMs in the area, said he noticed the machine's status signal go offline, but thought perhaps a car had hit a utility pole nearby and downed the telephone line. Such incident frequently occurred on the road, he said.
The bank's headquarters later ordered him to check the ATM visually after the signal remained offline for too long.
A witness told police he saw a golden-bronze Toyota Hilux Vigo parked in front of the Srisawat car loan office where the machine was located. At least two people were seen inside the truck.