Thai motorcyclist drags street vendor along road after stealing his phone

2020-02-20 8

A determined street food vendor whose phone was stolen clung on to the thief's motorcycle as he tried to ride away.

Chaiyaphat Warawan, 63, was selling sugar cane juice when the man grabbed his smartphone in Chonburi, eastern Thailand on February 14.

However, when the man tried to ride away, Chaiyaphat leapt forwards and grabbed onto his motorbike.

CCTV footage from a nearby house shows the elderly man clinging on while his body scrapes along the ground.

He was dragged for 65ft before the thief threw his phone into bushes. He then released his hand off the motorcycle.

Chaiyaphat said: "I was busy packing my things and the teenager wanted to borrow my phone so I gave it to him.

"He asked to take it with him but I refused, then he started the engine and tried to leave. I grabbed the motorcycle and clung on until he dropped my phone."

Chaiyaphat said the teenager parked at his stall asking him for change for a 1,000 THB (24 GBP) banknote for smaller notes.

The pensioner did not have the right money for the teenager and the teenager decided to buy five bottles of the juice instead and asked to borrow the old man's mobile phone.

The pensioner handed his phone and continued to pack his things, but when he was unaware the teenager started his motorcycle engine and rode away.

Footage shows the pensioner holding onto the motorcycle to try and prevent him from riding away.

The police received a report about in the afternoon and checked CCTV. They are looking for the thief.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Suphan Jaihan said: "We believe we know who the thief is so now we're gathering further evidence before arresting him."