Australian tourist allegedly pickpocketed on bus to Pattaya’s Loy Krathong

An Australian tourist was left in dismay after being allegedly pickpocketed on a tour bus during his journey to partake in the Loy Krathong celebrations in Pattaya. On November 27, an Australian tourist in his 30s reported the theft to Police Lieutenant Colonel Natchaphon Saengsi, the Deputy Superintendent in charge of investigations at Pattaya Police Station.

Jeevarass Palasunoram shared that he boarded an air-conditioned tour bus from Ekamai in Bangkok, bound for Pattaya. He placed his backpack in the overhead compartment above his seat.

Upon his arrival in Pattaya around 4.30pm, he realised his wallet was missing from his backpack. The wallet held 9,500 Australian dollars (200,000 baht), an additional 1,500 baht, and various important documents, reported The Pattaya News.

Immediately after making the distressing discovery, Palasunoram reported the incident to the police upon reaching his hotel in Pattaya. The police subsequently attempted to inspect the bus for any potential clues. However, their efforts were thwarted by the information from the bus driver, who wished to remain anonymous, stating that the vehicle did not have any security cameras installed.

The absence of clear leads or concrete evidence led Police Lieutenant Colonel Natchaphon to express to local media that he was unable to ascertain whether Palasunoram had misplaced his belongings or if the theft had indeed occurred on the bus. As it stands, the investigation into the incident remains unresolved.

In related news, a tourist was allegedly pickpocketed at a Songkran water-splashing event in Pattaya. The tourist, 25 year old Chinnawut Lahoong from Bangkok, told police that his wallet was stolen during a splashing event on Pattaya’s Walking Street.

Chinnawut informed Pattaya City Law Enforcement about the incident. He said that he stopped to buy a water gun while at the splashing event but when he went to pay for the item he found that his wallet was missing. The wallet contained 3,000 baht in cash, as well as various ATM cards, Chinnawut said. Read more about the story HERE.