Indian tourist in Pattaya reportedly missing over US$6,000

An Indian tourist in Pattaya is reportedly missing over US$6,000 after staying at a hotel in the city for just two days, The Pattaya News reported yesterday.

The man, 45 year old Vivek Singhal, told Pattaya officials that he had arrived at his hotel on October 5. Two days later he realised that the US$6,600 he had left in the hotel room’s electronic safe was gone. The money is equivalent to about 228,000 baht.

Vivek filed a complaint with Pattaya City police on Saturday, October 8. Police at first reportedly had some doubts about Vivek’s report, since an initial examination showed that the safe box had not been tampered with. Pattaya officials would continue, however, to check CCTV footage to see if any suspicious person entered Vivek’s hotel room.

It is unclear whether Vivek had invited any visitors into his room during the time the money allegedly went missing.

Pattaya has developed a bad reputation for thefts against Indian tourists. The most notorious of these crimes involved thieves, often ladyboys, snatching Indian tourists’ gold necklaces.

In August, an Indian tourist was robbed of 12,000 baht cash and other assets on Pattaya’s infamous Walking. The 33 year old Vishal Vajbhaw claimed that two ladyboys robbed him after he rejected their “services.”

Pattaya Police announced a specialised patrol force in May to combat these thefts, and declared again at the end of June they would crack down on Indian gold necklace thefts.

Following the recent theft against Vivek, time will tell what further steps Pattaya police will take to fight this insidious problem.