Muhammao Bashis, 41, and Allah Bakhsh, 29, were apprehended by Chana Songkram Police, Maj Gen Apichart Boonsriroj, police chief of Surat Thani, said yesterday afternoon (June 21). They had the gold bracelet in their possession.
The two suspects had rented a car and fled to Bangkok to avoid arrest, he said.
They were also suspects in the theft of a diamond-studded Rado watch worth B61,200 from Srithong shop in Hat Yai of Songkhla on June 19.
They were being returned to Surat Thani for legal processing.
The theft occurred at Mae Malee 7 gold shop on Na Muang road in Muang municipality area.
Uthumporn Sinmai, 35, saleswoman at the shop, told police that two foreign men of swarthy appearance entered her shop shortly before noon on Wednesday.
One man was wearing a white T-shirt bearing the words “HAT YAI Thailand”, and the other man an orange singlet with the words “I love PHUKET”. They showed an interest in buying a gold ring.
Muhammao was wearing the Hat Yai T-shirt and Allah the singlet declaring his love for Phuket, acording to Maj Gen Apichart.
While discussing the price the man in the white T-shirt asked to also see a five-baht weight gold bracelet, worth B102,000. The man in the orange singlet started talking with her while his friend took B2,800 from his wallet to pay for the ring, Ms Uthumporn said.
After they had left the shop, she discovered the gold bracelet was missing. A security camera recording from inside the shop showed the man in the white T-shirt covering the bracelet with his wallet.
Lt Col Niphon Chatree, deputy superintendent for crime suppression at Muang Police Station, said the two foreigners had checked out from a hotel in Muang district at 10am on Wednesday, before the theft.
They earlier went to another gold shop, but left empty-handed, before going to the Mae Malee 7 gold shop.
Police were expanding their investigation in the belief the two men may have been involved in other, similar cases.
Read original story here.