Heartless thief in Pattaya targets disabled woman’s lifeline: Stolen electric handcycle sparks outrage

A heartless thief left a disabled woman in Pattaya stranded after callously swiping her electric handcycle, her lifeline to mobility, on December 31 last year.

The 20 year old victim, Alisa Umsin, now faces an uphill battle without her essential aid. The Thai woman with impairment to both her legs was left devastated when her electric handcycle, a vital hybrid of a bicycle and a wheelchair catering to those with lower body mobility issues, was stolen near the Taksin Maharaj shrine. Valued at 28,000 baht, the handcycle was a lifeline for Alisa, who relies on it for essential mobility.

The shocking incident occurred as Alisa was setting up a water-selling booth for the new year’s countdown festival near Soi 6. After returning from her sales, she discovered the handcycle missing, compelling her to manually push her wheelchair for kilometres before reporting the theft on January 1, at the Pattaya Police Station.

Expressing her difficulties, Alisa revealed to The Pattaya News that the stolen handcycle was akin to her legs, emphasising the impact on her daily life. Despite the presence of surveillance cameras, the heartless thief showed no remorse, according to the victim.

Pattaya police swiftly responded, dispatching investigators to collect CCTV footage from the scene. The investigation is ongoing, with the Pattaya Police Chief personally invested in catching the culprit, deeming it abhorrent to rob a disabled person of their essential mobility device. The community now waits with bated breath for justice to prevail and for Alisa to regain her freedom of movement.

In related news, Pattaya police apprehended a vendor peddling illegal Kratom concoctions to unsuspecting foreign tourists and youngsters on Pattaya Beach on the night of January 2. Responding to the outcry of concerned locals, Pattaya’s finest executed a well-coordinated sting operation to collar a Thai vendor suspected of flouting the law by selling Kratom-laden drinks under the moonlight along Pattaya Beach.