A man in Bangkok was arrested after causing a stir at a gold shop by pretending to commit a robbery using a “finger gun,” then claiming it was merely a rehearsal.
The incident took place on Saturday, February 21, at around 1:20pm in Bang Kapi. The 30-year-old man, identified as Sena (name transliterated from Thai), entered the store wearing a balaclava and a red long-sleeved shirt. He approached the counter, pointed his finger like a gun, and announced, “This is a robbery.”
Moments later, he added, “Just kidding, I’m just rehearsing for later,” before calmly leaving the shop and riding away on a motorcycle, leaving staff confused and alarmed, according to reports from Amarin TV and T News.
The shop staff reported the incident to the police, who quickly traced Sena to his residence and arrested him the same day. Sena admitted that he staged the act to practise in case of a real robbery, Channel 7 reported.
A urine test found no traces of illegal drugs, but police records revealed that Sena has a history of drug offences and a prior robbery conviction. He now faces charges of threatening others and causing public alarm, and has been remanded pending a court appearance.
