Police arrested two Chinese tourists in Bangkok on Monday evening on charges of robbing a gold shop in Nakhon Ratchasima of gold rings worth about 380,000 baht.
Police said the two men are aged 19 and 27 years and come from Sichuan and Guangdong provinces in China.
They were arrested when returning a rented car to a company in Prawet district.
According to police, the two suspects rented a car there and drove to Nakhon Ratchasima where they robbed the Yaowarat Dan Kwian gold shop in Chok Chai district late Monday morning.
Police identified the suspects from security camera footage and were waiting for them at the car rental office. They allegedly had the stolen gold in their possession but not the gun they allegedly used in the holdup. They told police they threw it away while making their escape.
The men told police they had spent all their money during their travels in Thailand, and also had Thai girlfriends.
The gold shop was robbed by two men wearing black, long-sleeved shirts, shorts and balaclavas. They carried a pistol and used a hammer to break a showcase. They made off with about 30 gold rings worth about 380,000 baht, fleeing in a white Toyota Yaris.
