Thai woman fights off bag snatcher in Cambodia to save belongings

A Thai woman working in the Cambodian city of Poipet yesterday fought off a bag snatcher and managed to retrieve her belongings. Thai nationals previously filed nine similar theft cases to the Cambodian police without any successful arrests.

Both Thai and Cambodian nationals working in Poipet have fallen victim to thefts in recent months, prompting officials from both countries to meet on July 10 to discuss solutions to the repeated crimes.

However, the agreed measures were not implemented in time and another Thai woman fell victim to bag snatching a day after the meeting, yesterday, July 11. The thief reportedly came from the same group involved in previous cases.

The victim shared her story on social media, stating that she was in a car with colleagues, preparing to return home after work when a Cambodian thief suddenly pulled at her shoulder bag. She did not give up and pulled back until the bag tore.

The thief eventually gave up after he was unable to obtain any valuables, returning to his motorcycle before leaving the scene. The victim said the thief did not cover his face and rode his motorcycle away calmly at a slow speed like he was not scared of being arrested. The victim said she, and her colleagues, could remember his face.

Another Thai man was robbed the day before the woman. He also took to social media to share his story and warn others working in Cambodia. In his case, the man lost about 140,000 baht in cash and three mobile phones. He also suffered injuries, with wounds and bruises on his legs and arms.

Another Thai couple fell victim to the gang on July 7. They recounted that the gang kicked their motorcycle, causing them to fall, before robbing them. They did not reveal the details of their losses but shared pictures of wounds on their feet on social media.

More cases were previously reported and most victims filed complaints with local police. Police reportedly promised to arrest the criminal gang but with more thefts continuing to make headlines among the Thai community in Cambodia, they do not hold much hope or have any confidence in the local police.