User:TrulyBlue/Blue Diamond Affair

The Blue Diamond Affair was a series of incidents triggered by the 1989 theft of gems belonging to the Saudi royal family by a Thai employee, and involving corruption in the Thai police force and the murders of several investigators and conspirators. The affair soured relations between Saudi Arabia and Thailand for nearly 20 years.

The theft and recovery
In 1989 Kriangkrai Techamong, a Thai worker, stole jewellery and valuables from the Saudi royal palace where he was employed. The haul included a valuable blue diamond and other gems, which Kriangkrai took to his home in Lampang, Thailand.

An investigation led by Police Lieutenant-General Chalor Kerdthes led to the arrest of Kriangkrai (who was jailed for 5 years) and recovery of many of the jewels. However, when they were returned to Saudi Arabia most of the gems, including the Blue Diamond, were found to be fakes, with suspicion falling on the Thai police.

A Saudi Arabian businessman close to the Saudi royal family traveled to Bangkok to investigate the case, but was was abducted and killed. Three months later three officials of the Saudi Embassy were also shot dead in Bangkok. The murderers remain unidentified.

Chalor was convicted of ordering the murder of the wife and son of a gem dealer involved in the affair in 1995, and sentenced to death. He remains in jail, and in 2006 was sentenced to a further 20 years for stealing the recovered jewellery, after a trial which spanned 13 years. Six other officers were also found guilty of the $US20 million theft.

Diplomatic repercussions
Saudi Arabia stopped issuing working visas for Thais and discouraged its citizens from visiting Bangkok. Diplomatic missions were downgraded to charge d'affairs level. The number of Thai workers in Saudi Arabia fell from over 150,000 in 1989 to 10,000 in 2006.