Pattaya —
An 82-year-old Australian man was allegedly caught stealing vitamin C from a pharmacy in Pattaya today, September 23rd.
The suspect, identified only as Mr. Bruce, was accused of shoplifting from a local pharmacy across from the Rai Vanasin Market in the Nongprue sub-district in Banglamung.
The 82-year-old Australian expat was closely guarded by the store employees and several bystanders at the store. When the police arrived, they asked him to remove the items from his right pocket, which reportedly revealed a box of vitamin C worth 360 baht. The item belonged to the pharmacy, which Mr. Bruce nervously placed on the counter to return it.
Security camera footage from the store showed Mr. Bruce entering the pharmacy around 10:20 AM on the day of the incident. Using a cane, he directly headed to the vitamin C shelf and allegedly slipped a box into his pocket. A store employee witnessed this and continued to observe him as he pretended to browse for other medication.
The store staff revealed to local media that Mr. Bruce had allegedly previously shoplifted twice before, and they had already filed a report at the Nongprue Police Station. This was the third incident, and the employee, having remembered him, engaged him in conversation to stall him until the police arrived.
Mr. Bruce claimed that he initially came to buy eye drops as he had vision problems and that his doctor had recommended him taking vitamin C supplements. He reportedly admitted to stealing the vitamins, explaining that he didn’t have much money.
Initially, the foreigner negotiated with the store and agreed to pay for the damages from all three incidents, totaling 954 baht. However, due to the store’s policy of fining for ten times the value of stolen goods, the man consented to pay a total of 9,540 baht in fines.
PHOTO: TMN Cable TV Pattaya
PHOTO: TMN Cable TV Pattaya
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