A lone robber escaped with Bt9 million in gold necklaces and bracelets from a shop in downtown Hat Yai district before noon today.
Initial police reports say the suspect, aged about 50, walked into the Thai Udom gold shop at about 11.55am, while employees were tending to customers.
Then, one of the employees asked the robber to remove his cap. Instead, he produced a handgun, prompting all the employees to run to the back of the premises in panic, leaving four trays of gold necklaces and bracelets, which they had been showing to customers, on the counter.
The robber grabbed all the gold items and calmly walked from the shop to his motorcycle, which was parked about 30 metres away, and fled the scene.
Police were told by the gold shop’s owner that 63 gold necklaces and bracelets, worth about nine million baht, were taken.
Police then checked CCTV systems in the gold shop and the surrounding area, in an attempt to follow the escape route of the suspect, who remains at large.
