Dutchman arrested in Thailand for stealing an ATM
A 60-year-old Dutch man was arrested early Sunday in Khon Kaen after allegedly stealing an entire ATM from Siam Commercial Bank and dragging it through the streets with a pickup truck, according to a police press release, and additional information from Thai newspaper Khaosod English. Sijtse K. was reportedly facing financial strain due to an investment in his wife's restaurant, and mounting family pressure.
Authorities said the man used a black Mazda BT-50 pickup truck and a chain hoist to lift the ATM onto the back of the vehicle, which was on the street without a license plate. The incident occurred at approximately 2:05 a.m. on September 21, when a passerby contacted authorities to say a man attempting to break into the ATM at the Sri Sawat bank branch on Maliwan Road in the Ban Thum subdistrict.
He was reportedly driving against traffic before being stopped. Officers from Ban Ped Police Station responded promptly apprehended the suspect, the local police chief stated. Police seized the ATM, the truck, and the hoisting equipment. Preliminary testing confirmed the suspect was not under the influence of drugs, the press release stated.
The Dutch national, identified as Sijtse K., has lived in Thailand for six years. He and his 37-year-old Thai wife, Waraporn, invested roughly 10 million baht in a restaurant on Pracha Samran Road, where they also resided. The amount is roughly equivalent to 267,000 euros according to exchange rates published on Monday.
Financial stress had reportedly put a strain on the marriage. On Saturday night, the couple argued, after which the man told his wife he was going to visit friends in Nong Khai province. Police later informed her about the theft. “The wife had no idea what her husband was planning. She only learned about the ATM theft when we contacted her,” a police source told Khaosod English.
"A thorough investigation is underway to determine the true motive and to investigate any connections to other suspects," the police press release stated. Forensic teams collected fingerprints from the ATM and the pickup. Authorities confirmed the vehicle belonged to a family member and was shared within the household.
A police officer also said, “The woman had nothing to do with the incident. The vehicle used for the theft belongs to a family member and was shared in the family. The foreign man used it in the crime.”
Bank representatives filed formal charges against K. He faces counts including nighttime theft, property damage, and use of a vehicle in the commission of a crime. Under Thai law, he faces one to seven years in prison, with the maximum potentially increased by half due to vehicle use, raising the top sentence to 10.5 years. He also faces fines of 2,000 to 14,000 baht, about 53 to 374 euros. Police have denied bail while the investigation continues.
