Hat Yai, at 11:55 AM on April 8th, 2025 — Hat Yai police were alerted to an armed robbery at a gold shop in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district, where a man stole 184 baht-weight of gold—worth over 9 million baht.
Update: The suspect has been arrested, article here.
The suspect, a man in his 50s wearing a blue shirt, cap, and face mask, entered the shop with a pistol, allegedly threatened staff, and swept four trays of gold into a bag before calmly walking out. He fled on a red motorcycle parked 20 meters away. The entire robbery took just two minutes.
The stolen items included gold necklaces and bracelets of varying weights. Investigators traced the motorcycle to a location about 1 km from the scene and received tips from locals who saw the suspect change clothes before walking toward the Kim Yong Market.
Authorities identified the suspect as Yee Boon Long, a Malaysian national who previously robbed another gold shop in Hat Yai in 2017, stealing 115 baht-weight of gold worth 2.3 million baht. He had recently been released from prison.
Investigators revealed he is also suspected of multiple murders in Malaysia and Thailand. A 100,000 baht reward has been offered for tips leading to his arrest. The Songkhla Provincial Court has issued a warrant for charges including armed robbery, firearm possession, and using a vehicle to evade capture.
Police believe he is still hiding in the area, possibly in Sadao, and not yet crossed the border to Malaysia.
