Bangkok: Investigators are intensifying their investigation into the "Straw Hat Bandit" case and are not yet convinced by his confession. Police are accelerating their investigation into "Tiw, the Straw Hat Robber," who robs a gold shop in the Sukhumvit area. They are not yet convinced by his confession, after he claimed to have sold the gold to a friend in Myanmar. He has been taken into custody and remanded, with police opposing bail.
According to Thai News Agency, at 9:30 AM, investigators from Phra Khanong Police Station, along with a special operations unit, brought Mr. Thiw, the suspect, to the Bangkok South Criminal Court to request a first remand order on charges of nighttime robbery, involving the breach of security measures, the use of a weapon, and the use of a vehicle to facilitate the crime or the removal of the stolen property. Throughout the night and into this morning, no relatives of Mr. Thiw came to visit him.
While being escorted to the courthouse, reporters tried to trick Mr. Thiw into revealing whether he knew that his friend, Mr. Dew, who had testified that he had entrusted the gold to be sold, had been arrested along with the stolen gold. Mr. Thiw responded without any hesitation or worry, saying he didn't know. As for whether there was any gold jewelry included, he said that reporters would have to ask Mr. Dew himself. When asked if he would have the opportunity to use the money, Mr. Thiw replied that he didn't know either.
Based on Mr. Thiw's initial statement, he claimed to have entrusted the gold to a friend in Myanmar, Mr. Dew, for sale. However, the investigative team has not yet confirmed the existence of Mr. Dew, and police are still expanding their investigation. Mr. Thiw also offered his apologies to his mother and sister, acknowledging his wrongdoing and accepting legal consequences.
Although during the investigation, the suspect confessed to committing the crime alone, stating that his motive was to obtain money to buy a big bike motorcycle due to his personal preference and gambling habit, the investigators opposed bail. This was due to the high penalty for the crime and the fear that he would flee if granted bail. Furthermore, the suspect has a history of seven nighttime theft and robbery cases, having been released from prison in October 2025 after serving a five-year sentence in Chiang Mai province. He subsequently traveled to Bangkok and committed motorcycle thefts in various areas to use in these new crimes.