Headmaster lied, stolen gold found at his father's house

National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, centre, directs the fruitless search for the stolen gold from the bank of the Chao Phraya river in Sing Buri province on Wednesday. (Police photo)

The headmaster who has allegedly admitted robbing a gold shop and killing three people in Lop Buri two weeks ago lied when he told police he had dropped the stolen necklaces in a river.

On Wednesday after his arrest, Prasittichai Khaokaew, 38, said he dumped the gold jewellery, worth about 500,000 baht, he stole from the Aurora shop in Muang district, in the Chao Phraya river in Sing Buri province.

That led to police divers wasting eight hours in a futile search for the gold.

Mr Prassittichai subsequently admitted the gold was hidden inside a hollow, horizontal strut supporting the carport roof at his father's house in Muang district of Lop Buri.

Crime Suppression Division police took the suspect to the house overnight. He pointed out the strut where a tied closed sock was found hidden behind a plug of straw. It contained 31 gold necklaces. (see video below)

Mr Prasittichai was arrested in Lop Buri on Wednesday morning on his way to Wat Pho Chai School in adjoining Sing Buri province. He is the school's headmaster. He was interrogated in Lop Buri about the triple-murder and robbery at the gold shop in the Robinson department store complex in Muang district of Lop Buri on the night of Jan 9.

He allegedly confessed to the holdup and to shooting dead three people, including a child, and wounding four others.

Police sources said the sound suppressor the robber had on the pistol he used had drawn their attention to the suspect. It had a sticker on it applied by the supplier.

Police took Mr Prasittichai to Bangkok early on Thursday morning.