Residents in Vientiane Capital are growing increasingly alarmed over a surge in home burglaries. Two consecutive incidents last week have prompted heightened vigilance among locals.
On 7 December, at 1:37 am, a thief broke into a house in Donnoun village, Xaythany District.
The man was caught on CCTV wearing a blue hoodie, black jeans, and white shoes. He stole approximately USD 20,000 worth of brand-name items, bags, jewelry, and accessories and placed them into a shoulder bag.
Shortly after the incident, the homeowner offered a reward of LAK 50 million (approximately USD 2409.51) to the public for information about the burglar. However, the reward would be given only if the owner receives all the stolen properties back.
Not longer than 24 hours later, another burglary unfolded in the same village, further fueling concerns. This time around 12 pm, a criminal broke into a luxurious house owned by Phet Sipaseuth, 56. No one was present in the house at the time of the theft, as confirmed by Phet, who said, “We were all at another house of ours near That Luang.”
The thief made off with approximately THB 100,000 (USD 2804.26) in cash and several gold rings and bracelets amounting to 60 baths of gold – the owner reported, causing a total loss estimated at USD 65,892.25. They also removed a memory card from the house’s CCTV to prevent the dissemination of footage. In response to this incident, Phet has set a bounty of LAK 200 million (approximately USD 9638.02) for the apprehension of the perpetrator.
Social media users are speculating about a possible connection between the two incidents, given their proximity in the same village. Some suggest that the thief or thieves may have been familiar with both houses, displaying knowledge of the layout and the locations of valuables. Despite these speculations, the identity of the culprits remains unknown, and authorities are actively investigating both cases.
