Thai girl sleeps through car theft

Apr 26, 2007, 3:51 GMT

Bangkok - A 6-year-old Thai girl slept through a six-hour car theft attempt and dramatic chase by vigilante Bangkok taxis in the backseat of the vehicle, owned by her policeman father, media reports said.

Police Sergeant Akradej Makasen, 35, had left his daughter Namfon in the back seat of his pickup truck, parked at the Lat Krabang police station when it was stolen Tuesday night around 9 pm.

Realizing that he had lost both his truck and his daughter, Akradej sent out a public alert on radio stations describing the stolen vehicle which was eventually spotted by a taxi driver in Nonthaburi, a Bangkok suburb, at 3 am Wednesday.

Scores of taxis joined in a chase of the stolen vehicle and eventually surrounded it, preventing the thief, 25-year-old Tewa Bansaet, from fleeing the scene, the Thai Rath newspaper reported.

When the police arrived and arrested Tewa they found Namfon still sleeping in the back seat, despite all the hubbub.

'I can't say how glad I am to have my car and child back,' said Akradej. 'I will never leave her in the car again.'

The repentant dad explained that he had often left his daughter in the back seat of his pickup with the air-conditioning on to allow her to get some sleep while her mother sold food near the Lat Krabang police station to supplement his meagre policeman's salary.