Con man dressed as rear admiral arrested
An elderly man was arrested on Monday for dressing as a rear admiral to solicit donations from people at a Navy office in Chon Buri’s Satttahib district.
Officials at the office noticed that the man’s uniform insignia was wrong so they alerted the Navy’s military police and Sattahib Police Station.
He was taken to the Sattahib naval base for questioning by the base commander, Vice Admiral Noppadol Suphakorn.
The man declined to give his real name but was later identified by his identification card and household registration as Paithoon Chaengchuen, 63.
Two donation boxes and pha pa merit-making donation envelopes from temples in Nakhon Ratchasima and Samut Prakan province were found with him together with Bt1,270.
He was travelling in a white Toyota Camry.
Paithoon said he dressed in a Navy uniform to deceive temples into issuing certificates under the belief he would raise public donations for them.
