An Australian tourist has been arrested in Thailand after robbing a bank with a fake gun, all in an attempt to get enough money to fly home.
Zachary Cronin, 23, was detained on Monday after entering the Saphan Khwai branch of Thanachart Bank in Bangkok, wearing a floppy Billabong hat, a Guy Fawkes mask and goggles, and pointing a BB gun at tellers, Metropolitan police chief Pol Lt Gen Sanit Mahathavorn said, according to the Bangkok Post.
The staff handed over 170,000 baht (A$6600) but pressed the alarm button to alert authorities, including a police patrol inside the bank, the Thairath Online reported.
รวบหนุ่ม "ออสซี่" ควงปืนปลอม จี้ชิงเงินสด ธ.ธนชาต อ้างหาเงินซื้อตั๋วกลับประเทศ #FM91 https://t.co/Mw8PRYQgpB pic.twitter.com/YzDuPxJ1sJ— ข่าวจราจร สวพ.91 (@fm91trafficpro) October 19, 2015
Minutes later, Cronin was caught in a dead-end lane next to the bank, according to the publication, and admitted to authorities he was trying to get enough money to buy a plane ticket home after spending all his cash.
He has been charged with robbery but a court date has not yet been set. In Thailand, robbery can result in a prison term of five to 10 years.