The Lopburi Gold Shop Murders
An evening robbery at a gold shop inside Robinson Department Store in Lopburi left three people dead and four others wounded. Investigators arrested school director Prasittichai Khaokaew less than two weeks later; his conviction and death sentence were ultimately upheld by Thailand's Supreme Court.
On the evening of January 9, 2020, an armed man entered Robinson Department Store in Lopburi and opened fire during a robbery of the Aurora gold shop. Security guard Theerachat Nimma, gold-shop employee Thidarat Thongthip and two-year-old Panuwit Wongyoo were killed. Four other people were wounded. The attacker fled with gold necklaces and remained unidentified for nearly two weeks.
The robbery and the victims
Contemporary court reporting described the attacker as carrying a 9mm pistol fitted with a suppressor. The shooting unfolded around the gold shop and mall walkway before the gunman escaped by motorcycle with dozens of gold necklaces valued at roughly 664,000 baht.
The case drew nationwide attention because the victims were ordinary people caught in a commercial space: a mall security guard, an employee working at the shop and a toddler who was passing nearby with family. Four additional people survived gunshot injuries. Crime by Region does not reproduce graphic CCTV descriptions or images of the victims.
The investigation and arrest
Police conducted a large manhunt using surveillance footage, witness accounts, firearms evidence and information about the escape route. On January 22, 2020, officers arrested Prasittichai Khaokaew, then a school director in Sing Buri province.
News reports from the prosecution said investigators recovered much of the stolen jewelry after the arrest. Prasittichai admitted the robbery and shootings. Reports also attributed changing explanations for motive to him, including financial pressure and a desire for excitement; those statements are best understood as reported explanations rather than necessary elements of the convictions.
Charges and trial
Prosecutors brought multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and firearms offences. Prasittichai pleaded guilty, but the Criminal Court did not treat the plea as grounds for leniency sufficient to avoid the death penalty.
On August 27, 2020, the Criminal Court convicted him and imposed a death sentence, along with a fine and compensation orders for victims and families. The court emphasized the deliberate nature of the attack and the number of people harmed.
Appeals and final Supreme Court ruling
The case continued through Thailand's appellate system. Lower-court rulings were maintained, and on April 26, 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence. Khaosod English reported the ruling the following day, stating that the Supreme Court affirmed the findings of the two lower courts and declined to reduce the sentence.
The Supreme Court decision provides a clear final adjudicative point for the criminal case. This page therefore classifies the file as Solved / Final Supreme Court ruling. The classification describes the court outcome; it does not imply any position on capital punishment.
Timeline
- Robbery and shooting
Three people are killed and four others wounded during a robbery at the Aurora gold shop inside Robinson Department Store in Lopburi.
- Prasittichai Khaokaew arrested
Police arrest the school director after a nearly two-week investigation and recover evidence tied to the robbery.
- Prosecution proceeds
Prasittichai pleads guilty to the charges brought over the killings, attempted killings, robbery and weapons offences.
- Criminal Court conviction
The court imposes a death sentence and orders compensation to the victims and their families.
- Supreme Court upholds sentence
Thailand's Supreme Court affirms the lower-court rulings and maintains the death sentence.
Current status
Prasittichai Khaokaew stands finally convicted in Thailand's courts for the Lopburi killings and related offences, with the Supreme Court having upheld the death sentence in April 2023. The case is therefore treated as adjudicated rather than unresolved.
The criminal case is often remembered through surveillance footage and discussion of the offender's occupation. This file keeps the focus on the three people killed — Theerachat Nimma, Thidarat Thongthip and Panuwit Wongyoo — and the four people who survived the attack.