PHUKET: Police have arrested two men, one who used to have a motorbike repair shop in Patong, for stealing motorbikes and breaking them down for spares and selling leftover parts.

Officers of the Patong Police led by Maj Suchart Chumphusaeng arrested Anusorn Srisorn, 31, originally from Kamphaeng Phet, and Suriya Khutana, 35, of Koh Kaew subdistrict in Phuket, yesterday (June 15), said a report of the arrests.


The pair were arrested at a house on 50 Pi Rd in Patong.


In making the arrests police seized a white Phuket-registered Yamaha NMax motorbike with a green trailer, a license plate of motorbike reported missing, two motorbike parts and the engine from Yamaha motorbike, the report noted.


Patong Police Chief Col Sujin Nilabodi explained that the arrests came after two victims separately filed complaints that their motorbikes were missing on June 5 and June 13.


Through CCTV footage police confirmed that the thieves in both cases were the same. The thieves arrived on a Yamaha motorbike with a green trailer, placed the motorbike they were stealing on the trailer and drove away, he said.


Again, through footage from CCTV cameras throughout Patong, police tracked down the thieves to the address on 50 Pi Rd.


The two men admitted to the thefts, Col Sujin said.


The men said they disassembled the motorbikes and used them to make repairs on other motorbikes. Any parts not working were sold to a shop in Soi Khok Moo on Sirirat Rd at the southern end of Patong.


Anusorn explained to police that he used to have a motorbike repair shop on “Soi Nanai”, but he was left with no customers and no income due to the COVID economic crisis, said the report,


He was forced to close his shop and continue his motorbike repair business at his house on 50 Pi Rd, but the income was not enough to pay for basic living expenses, Anusorn said.


Anusorn explained that with no income, he and Suriya, who used to work with him at his shop, decided to start taking motorbikes to use for parts.


They only targeted motorbikes that were left parked in the same place in Patong for a long time, he said.


They had stolen only the two motorbikes that were reported missing, he added.


Col Sujin confirmed that both Anisorn and Suriya had been charged with committing theft in the nighttime by using a vehicle to flee.


With no income, Patong motorbike repair duo turn to stealing motorbikes