Pattaya, Chonburi – March 2nd, 2026: Three British nationals accused of a home invasion and robbing a safe containing over 2 million baht from a home in Pattaya appeared defiant as they were remanded into custody for the first time today, insisting they are “not mafia.” They had previously just been people of interest as discussed here and interviewed.
The suspects were brought before the Pattaya Provincial Court this morning after police from Nong Prue Police Station, Regional Police Division 2, Chonburi Provincial Investigation, and Immigration Police transferred them from temporary detention.
The accused are publicly identified by Thai police as:
– Palmer Jermain, 20, arrested at the Padang Besar Immigration Checkpoint in Sadao District, Songkhla Province, accused of trying to flee the country as well.
– Christopher Erance, 38, apprehended at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, also accused of trying to flee the charges.
– Taihool Junior Michael Campbell, 32, detained at a hotel in Prakhon Chai District, Buriram Province.
ll three face charges of joint robbery. A fourth person of interest, described only as an unidentified white British man, remains in police custody for further questioning to determine his involvement. He has not been formally charged as of press time. A fifth person of interest previously interviewed wasn’t named by police any further as of interest and appeared to have been released and cleared, but this was not clarified specifically.
The robbery occurred on the night of February 26th, 2026, at a two-storey townhouse in Chokchai Village 9, Moo 10. Masked assailants, armed with knives, stormed the residence of a British chef, now fully identified by police as 32-year-old British national Wesleigh Cyril Russell, and his Thai partner, threatening the occupants before stealing a safe with more than 2 million baht in cash (recently withdrawn for a home purchase according to them), along with mobile phones. The gang fled in a vehicle after ramming through the estate’s gate as we reported here originally.
Police arrested the three main suspects by late February 28th following a swift investigation. Evidence say police includes items recovered from an apartment in the Jomtien area, believed to be where the gang divided the stolen cash, as well as escape routes. Forensic teams from Police Forensic Office Region 2 in Chonburi collected DNA samples from the three suspects to compare with latent fingerprints at the crime scene.
During initial interrogations on March 1, the suspects fully denied involvement, providing evasive and unhelpful statements. One reportedly displayed erratic behavior, claiming poor mental health and blaming his mental health status on anything that had allegedly happened and asking for a mental health evaluation.
As reporters awaited their transfer to court today, the three suspects appeared relaxed, showing no signs of stress. They greeted The Pattaya News journalists casually, asking “How are you?” in a lighthearted manner. One declared, “We’re not mafia,” while another surprisingly requested cigarettes from our reporters before boarding the prison van bound for Pattaya Provincial Court.
Police remain confident in their evidence and continue efforts to build a solid case against the group, displaying as seen below CCTV footage which they believe clearly shows the suspects changing vehicles and wearing the same outfits involved in the crime on the same evening of the incident. The incident has drawn international attention due to the suspects being British nationals targeting a fellow countryman’s home in the popular tourist area.
Thai police had previously stated that they believed the crime was an inside job and that the suspects and victim knew each other but they did not provide further details on this at this time, only stating the motive and investigation was ongoing.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
