Baht-tered and bruised: Bahraini’s pocket picked by Pattaya transwoman

In a twist of misfortune, a Bahraini man ended up at Mueang Pattaya Police Station seeking assistance after falling victim to a Thai transwoman pickpocket in Pattaya, leaving him 10,000 baht lighter

The foreign victim, 55 year old Hasan Almuqahwi, reported the incident to Thai police at 1am today, September 28. He explained that a Thai woman and a transwoman approached him while he was on a baht bus in Soi Bua Khao. The two sat on either side of him and the woman started talking to him.

The woman talked to him until he reached his destination. As he got out of the bus, the transwoman put her hand in his trouser pocket, grabbed his wallet and made a run for it. He noticed the pickpocketing and tried to catch the transwoman. However, the two managed to get out of the car and run away from him.

Almuqahwi ran after them but the two crafty culprits managed to evade his grasp, slipping away from the scene. He revealed that he had 7,000 baht in cash and 60 Bahraini dinars (about 5,000 baht) in his wallet.

Police officer Akkarapong Saenputawong recorded Almuqahwi’s complaint and later checked the security camera on Soi Buakhao to identify the two pickpockets.

This incident contributes to an ongoing trend of thefts committed by transwomen or ladyboys in Thailand’s tourist areas. Foreigners, especially Indian nationals, appear to be the primary targets of these criminal activities.

In May, two Indian men filed separate complaints at Mueang Pattaya Police Station after Thai transwomen snatched their gold necklaces. The two victims did not know each other personally but fell victim to the transgender thieves on the same night.

They experienced similar incidents when transwomen hugged them to attract their attention and let a friend steal their necklaces.

Pickpocketing is not limited to transwomen, as evidenced by the recent arrest of two Cambodian men in Bangkok. The two confessed that they managed to steal from three to four victims per day and had successfully pickpocketed more than 100 times.

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