Fake motorbike taxi driver terrorises tourists in two-alley stick-up
A bogus biker posing as a motorbike taxi driver turned a quiet Pattaya night into a scene of panic, pulling a gun on terrified women, including a mum with her toddler in tow.
At 8.46pm, yesterday, April 20, Pattaya police were scrambled after a masked motorbike maniac armed with a gun targeted tourists in a brazen double robbery in Soi Phratamnak.
Lt. Col. Panasarn Krongsit, Deputy Chief of Pattaya City Police Station, received the initial call and swiftly alerted his superiors, including Col. Anek Sratongyoo and Lt. Col. Arun Sapanon, before racing to the scene alongside tourist police and reporters from The Pattaya News.
The first victim, 21 year old Thai national Wichayada (surname withheld), told officers she was approached by a man wearing an orange motorcycle taxi vest.
“He asked if I needed a ride. I told him I could walk but he followed me, blocked my path, and pulled out a gun.”
Panicked, Wichayada bolted into a nearby hotel to seek help, sending the gunman fleeing.
Minutes later, the same suspect struck again, this time in nearby Soi Phratamnak 6. His next target was Miss Liliia, a Russian tourist walking with her friend and three year old daughter after visiting a market, reported Pattaya News.
“He circled us on his motorbike three times. Then he rode into a quiet alley, pulled out a gun and demanded our belongings. I was scared for my daughter, so I gave him 3,100 baht.”
The armed thief then sped off once more, leaving the victims shaken but unharmed.
Lt. Col. Panasarn launched a city-wide manhunt, issuing a radio alert based on the victims’ descriptions and locking down likely escape routes. Officers are now poring over CCTV footage and gathering witness statements to track down the gunman before he strikes again.
Police confirmed they’re treating the case with the highest urgency as they work to bring the armed menace to justice.
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