Man in Thailand wears 'Ghostface' mask to rob gold shop, gets trapped inside & arrested

A 21-year-old man in Thailand reportedly disguised himself as "Ghostface" from the "Scream" horror movie franchise in a bid to evade mall security and rob a gold store in a late-night heist on Mar. 17.

However, after infiltrating the store in the Chiang Mai mall, the suspect was trapped inside and unable to escape with the loot.

He was arrested the next morning when staff arriving for work, found him and called the police.

The disguise

According to Thai media, the 21-year-old suspect, Aesara, was found trapped inside the Yaowarat gold shop in a Chiang Mai shopping mall on Mar. 18 morning.

Aesara told Thai police that he had studied his target — a mall near his home — for three days, before travelling there.

He opted to disguise himself with a black outfit and the "Ghostface" mask as a homage to his favourite horror movies, and to evade the mall's security cameras, Thairath reported.

Yannapol Pattanachai, Mae Ping police station commander, said the suspect parked his motorcycle at a petrol station opposite the mall and slipped inside at 5pm on Mar. 17, The Nation reported.

He then hid in the mall until closing time, before changing into his disguise for the heist.

CCTV footage captured a person in a "Ghostface" outfit emerging from a second-floor bathroom, armed with a crowbar.

Trapped in the store

The suspect then pried open the lock on the iron gate of the gold shop, got in, and closed it behind him, said Pattanachai.

However, after grabbing some gold necklaces, the suspect realised the iron gate could not be lifted from inside due to an obstruction, Pattanachai said.

The suspect was seen on the shop's camera footage searching for another way out.

When he could not find one, he sat down in a corner to hide.

At 9am on Mar. 18, staff arriving for work noticed signs of a break-in, Thaiger reported.

Upon entering the shop, they saw the suspect cowering behind the counter and locked him in once again before alerting the police.

Needed money for university

After his arrest, Aesara told the police that he needed money to study for a bachelor's degree at a university in Chiang Mai.

He also expressed his remorse for his "rash act".

The suspect faces charges of attempted theft and the destruction of a barrier.

Police are investigating whether he had accomplices.

Top image from The Nation Thailand & Khaosod/Facebook