Thai woman arrested in onsen credit card theft, Chinese suspects involved
Police arrested a Thai woman at her condominium yesterday, January 7, for conspiring with Chinese suspects to commit credit card theft at several onsen establishments in Bangkok.
Numerous onsen patrons came forward to issue warnings and seek justice after their credit cards were stolen following visits to various onsens in Bangkok. The stolen cards were used by the thieves, resulting in losses exceeding 200,000 baht for the victims.
The victims reported that they stored their credit cards and other belongings in onsen lockers, which were secured with specific wristbands provided by the onsen staff. However, the locker rooms lacked CCTV cameras due to privacy concerns, leaving victims with no evidence to identify the suspects.
After the story gained traction on Thai social media, police intensified their investigation and eventually arrested one of the suspects, a 22 year old Thai woman named Thanchanok. She was apprehended in her condominium on the 38th floor in the Wattana district of Bangkok.
Thanchanok confessed that she posed as an onsen client to obtain wristbands. Each wristband contained a magnetic stripe reader, enabling users to unlock lockers by tapping it.
She admitted to stealing the wristbands and, with the assistance of Chinese accomplices, replicating them. She then used the counterfeit wristbands to unlock others’ lockers and steal victims’ credit cards.
Thanchanok faces two charges:
- Section 335 of the Criminal Code: Committing theft at night by damaging any barrier intended to protect persons or property. The penalty is imprisonment for one to five years and a fine ranging from 20,000 to 100,000 baht.
- Section 269/5 of the Criminal Code: Illegally using another person’s electronic card or device, causing damage to the individual or the public. The penalty is imprisonment for up to five years, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both.
Police are continuing their investigation to apprehend the remaining Chinese suspects involved in the case.
Officers have not yet confirmed whether this scam gang also engaged in credit card theft and fraud at other locations, such as the MRT train in Bangkok, as alleged by other victims.
ORIGINAL STORY: Thai woman warns of credit card fraud after Bangkok onsen visit
A Thai woman issued a warning after nearly losing 85,900 baht in credit card fraud following a visit to an onsen in Bangkok. The incident has since gone viral on social media, prompting more victims to come forward.
The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, yesterday, January 5, shared her story with the Facebook page Drama-addict. She revealed that both her credit card and debit card were stolen during her visit to the onsen in Bangkok, though only her credit card was used fraudulently.
According to the victim, she arrived at the onsen at 3pm and stayed until 5.15pm, storing her belongings in a locker. Among the items placed inside were her iPhone 15, a designer handbag, and her wallet. The locker, secured with a wristband, appeared tightly locked when she checked it before using the facilities.
The woman stated that no other items were taken apart from her Kasikorn Bank credit and debit cards. She discovered the fraud later that evening, at around 9pm, after having dinner with friends.
Upon checking her phone, she saw notifications indicating her credit card was used at a location named Mee Ter Nonthaburi TH, which she did not recognise.
The card was charged three times: 49,000 baht, 29,000 baht, and 7,900 baht, totalling 85,900 baht – the full credit limit of the card.
When the woman checked her belongings, she found that the stolen cards were missing, while two other credit cards in a separate pocket of her bag were untouched. Fortunately, the bank froze the transactions, preventing her from losing the money.
The victim urged others, particularly foreigners who frequently use the onsen, to be cautious. However, it remains unclear whether the onsen was directly involved in the fraud.
The Drama-addict page later reported that more victims came forward, claiming to have experienced similar incidents. One victim reportedly lost over 200,000 baht.
Many commenters on the post shared that their friends encountered similar cases. One noted that his friend’s credit card was used at a location named Plearn Plearn shortly after visiting the same onsen.
Netizens have called on Thai banks to implement stricter security measures to protect customers, while others urged authorities to take the matter seriously to prevent further incidents.
The onsen has yet to make a statement on the incident.
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