Indian tourist pickpocketed in Pattaya, lost 44,000 baht
As tourism grows back in Thailand, some things never change. Stories of Indian tourists having their gold chains stolen, or being pickpocketed or robbed by ladyboys seem to crop up every week. And this week is no exception. An Indian student was reportedly pickpocketed on Friday in Pattaya and had his wallet lightened of about 44,000 baht.
The alleged incident occurred after he finished shopping at a local convenience store at around 11pm. The student and his friend went to the Pattaya Police station to file a report. He stated that a group of Thai people approached him after leaving the store. The group distracted him with conversation, asking him about what he bought and about his holiday in Thailand.
The Indian tourists said that during that conversation one of them must have pickpocketed him and taken 44,000 baht in cash from his pants. The student did not explain why he was carrying such a large sum of money with him at the time.
The Pattaya City Police Station took the report and stated that CCTV footage from the store and other cameras nearby would be reviewed to try to identify and arrest the suspects.
Pattaya Police have long been warning tourists to not carry large amounts of cash or flashy jewellery, as there have been numerous pickpocketing incidents reported by tourists in the area in the past year.
Just in the last week, several robberies and theft have made the national news. A Singaporean family’s vacation in Phuket was spoiled after their villa was burgled of over 485,000 baht worth of valuables, including two Louis Vuitton crossbody bags.
And in Isaan, it took more than 50 police officers joining forces to arrest a Thai Bonnie and Clyde who robbed 32 petrol stations after the scoundrels ran circles around officers in several provinces in the northeast of Thailand.
