Bangkok History Highlight: The Blue Diamond Affair [S8.E29] (Classic ReCast)

Another classic recast! One of the craziest stories from recent
Thai history.


Continuing our series on interesting episodes in Thai history,
this episode focuses on the infamous Blue Diamond Affair, It all
started when a Thai gardener named Kriangkrai Techamon, who was
working in Saudi Arabia, decided to make off with $20 million
worth of gems and jewelry belonging to a Saudi royal. Although
the thief was caught shortly after his return to Thailand, he had
already sold much of the loot, including the famed 50 karat 'Blue
Diamond.' No problem - the gems were returned to Saudi Arabia and
an apology issued. Case closed!


BUT! Soon after the treasure was returned, Saudi authorities
claimed that over half of the returned gems were fake, including
the Blue Diamond. The Saudi authorities sent a special team of
investigators to Bangkok to investigate...and what followed was a
tale of murder, kidnapping, and black magic, with the ultimate
result being a near-total diplomatic breakdown between the two
countries that continues to this day (update - diplomatic
relations were restored in 2022). It's a plot almost too twisty
for Hollywood, but listen in for details on one of the strangest
episodes in Thai history. 


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