Foreign beggar gang busted for using kids as cash bait in Pattaya
Cops collar Cambodian crew in sting op after tourists complain of child exploitation
A foreign beggar gang using children and the disabled to pull in cash from tourists has been busted in a dramatic sting operation by immigration police in Pattaya.
Undercover officers, posing as holidaymakers, swooped on a group of Cambodians spotted hustling money from passersby at popular tourist spots around the city.
Some of the suspects were seen carrying two or three children, while others faked physical disabilities, all in a bid to tug at the heartstrings, and wallets, of tourists.
The bust, yesterday, May 13, which took place around 5pm, was led by Police Colonel Napasphong Khositsuriyamanee, following mounting complaints from locals and visitors that the syndicate was damaging Pattaya’s reputation as a tourist hotspot.
Police arrested five Cambodian women, two men, and eight young girls aged between three and ten. Officers say the group were raking in between 300–500 baht a day by preying on the kindness of tourists.
The gang reportedly lived in Si Racha, commuting to Pattaya by songthaew (shared taxi) to target high-traffic zones. Some told police they’d lived in Thailand for more than a decade, with their children even enrolled in local schools.
All suspects were hauled into Pattaya City Police Station for legal processing and now face deportation, reported Pattaya News.
Police say this is part of a broader crackdown on organised begging rings exploiting vulnerable people for profit. A deeper probe is now underway to identify the kingpins behind the operation.
Begging in Pattaya, particularly around Walking Street, has long been a sore point for both locals and tourists. Many beggars roam the streets with toddlers and infants in tow, using them to guilt-trip tourists into coughing up cash.
Some resort to more aggressive tactics, grabbing arms or blocking paths, when people refuse to hand over money.
One resident told reporters she is fed up.
“It’s heartbreaking, but also infuriating. These kids are being used like props, it’s not right.”
Police have vowed to clean up the city’s image, promising more stings to root out the exploitation.
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