In the wake of the audacious withdrawal of over a million Baht from a free standing ATM machine on Sukhumvit Road last week Police Colonel Supachai and other senior police officers held a press conference at Pattaya Police Station to assure the public, and the banks that they were doing everything in their power to bring the thieves to justice.
The police are worried about copy cat robberies so have stepped up patrols of vulnerable ATM machines especially those belonging to the UOB Bank that appear to be easier to break into. Police patrols are checking regularly stand alone ATM's at petrol filling stations, convenience stores and gold shops.
They urged business where these vulnerable ATM machines are located to install efficient lighting and CCTV cameras as these types of crime often occur in the depth of the night when police and security patrols take their naps.
Explosives have been used in past attempts to get at the money in these machines. These have proved unsuccessful until the latest attempt when butane gas cutting equipment did the job just nicely.
In a separate and unconnected story Hardware shop owners have reported an unusual increase in the sale of butane gas cylinders probably due to the labour day holiday where the gas is needed to fuel barbecues.
