THEFT PRANK; EVIL EYE; DURIAN FEAST; ERRANT MONK

Jail sounds a better option An Udon Thani man, frustrated with life, stole gold rings from two stores in succession, claiming he wanted to go to jail to “take a rest”.

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Muang police on Thursday were notified of a man pretending to be a customer at a gold shop at a local shopping centre.

He tried on gold rings and walked out with them, but not before asking: “If I walk out without paying, will I be arrested?”

The suspect was identified as Phakin, or Tao (no surname given), 30, who admitted the thefts.

Duk (no surname given), an employee at the first gold shop, said the man asked to see a gold ring and asked, “If I walk out wearing it, will I be arrested? I want to go to jail”.

He boldly put on the ring and walked out.

News reports say he later returned the ring and went about his business, before repeating the prank at a shop nearby.

Nannaphat (no surname given), branch manager of the second shop, said the suspect asked to try on a two salueng gold ring (worth about 28,000 baht) and again asked if he would be arrested.

When she confirmed he would, he still walked out, prompting staff to chase him and retrieve the ring.

Tao, the suspect, said he staged the stunts because he wanted to go to jail.

His actions were motivated by personal problems: he felt resentful toward his mother for refusing to give him six rai of land despite being her only son.

He has a wife and young child and said he wanted to return to jail because he had previously served time for theft on behalf of a friend.

He also admitted to having methamphetamine debts and being a habitual user, taking 1-2 pills per day.

He apologised to his mother and wife for the prank and promised that if jailed, he would reform and behave himself upon release.

His wife, Arisa, 27, visited him at the station with their 3-year-old daughter.

She said her husband had been stressed and paranoid, even talking about robbery and suicide.

She was shocked to learn he had been using methamphetamine, previously thinking he was only drinking.