Phuket hit with petty crime after money boxes stolen

Petty crime has hit Phuket as police charge a couple for stealing a tip box from a Karon resort. According to a report by the Phuket Info Centre, the tip box was stolen from the Kata Tranquil Villa Hotel reception desk on Soi Patak 12, Karon, at around 11pm last Friday.

The Phuket News reported that Karon police checked CCTV footage and confirmed that a woman walked straight in, picked up the tip box and left.

After leaving, the woman got into a Phuket-registered white and red Honda Click. Her getaway driver took them towards Chalong. Karon Police ran the license plate and tracked them down, taking them into custody on Monday.

The husband and wife are residents of the Muang area in Wichit. They admitted their crime and showed the officers where they had discarded the empty tip box. Police charged them with theft.

Meanwhile, a 2,000 baht reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a man who broke open a cash box at the Otteri laundromat in Baan Lipon, near Mae Sompong market.

The man was seen on CCTV breaking into the cash box, which was mounted on a wall in the laundromat.

Police say those with any information should call 062-2236588 or 086-2762580.

In other Phuket news, the special operation unit from the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) conducted an undercover raid on Velvet bar on Bangla Walking Street in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket after being notified of child prostitution involving teenagers under 18 years old.

The international anti-trafficking organisation, Operation Underground Railroad, complained to the DOPA that Velvet bar on Bangla Walking Street lured teenage girls aged under 18 years old into offering sex services to foreign customers.

After conducting an investigation to verify the complaint, the DOPA discovered that Velvet bar was secretly providing sex services to foreign customers, despite operating as a regular bar. The bar was operated without a license as well.

During the bar raid, officers arrested two women including the bar manager, Taksakorn “Nam” Suppa-akkarapokin, and a sex worker agent named Watcharaporn “Uki” Thongmark. The two were charged with operating entertainment venues without permission and human trafficking.