A Pattaya cafe owner turned the tables on a suspected burglar by inviting him for a beer and keeping him entertained while secretly arranging for police to arrest him early today, October 18.
The incident unfolded at around 3.30am at Jae Beer Khon La Yum restaurant near Jomtien Beach in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province.
The cafe owner, 27 year old Kanyanat Khanthahong, said she was dining with a friend when she spotted a man she believed had broken into her coffee shop on Pattaya Third Road.
Her shop had been burgled on August 1, with several items stolen, including a mobile phone, JBL speaker, coffee grinder, CCTV camera, coffee scale and two coffee portafilters. The total losses exceeded 40,000 baht.
Rather than confront the man, Kanyanat invited him to join her table and ordered him a beer, acting as though nothing was wrong.
While keeping him occupied with conversation, she discreetly asked restaurant staff to contact police.
Officers from Pattaya City Police Station arrived at the restaurant, where bystanders helped restrain the man before he was taken into custody.
Kanyanat said the burglary had been particularly upsetting because she and a friend had invested in opening the coffee shop together.
She explained that the business was something she loved and had worked hard to establish, but the losses from the break-in eventually forced them to close.
Police found that the man had an outstanding arrest warrant for theft and had previously been arrested in a similar case. He was also reportedly linked to another break-in at a mobile phone shop in Bang Lamung.
Officers said several other complainants had also come forward reporting theft-related losses.
Investigators are now reviewing the suspect’s possible involvement in other cases and coordinating with the complainants to gather further evidence before proceeding with legal action.
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