Transgender suspect charged after robbing Japanese man in Pattaya
A transgender massage worker surrendered to police in Pattaya yesterday, March 14, after a Japanese tourist reported being assaulted and robbed inside a hotel room earlier this week.
The suspect, identified as A, arrived at Pattaya City Police Station and returned 9,000 baht allegedly taken from the victim’s hotel room. A deputy investigation officer received the money on behalf of the victim.
The case stems from an incident on March 13 at a hotel in Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri. Investigators said that the victim, a 33 year old Japanese tourist, filed a complaint stating that he was assaulted, had his property damaged and lost cash during an altercation inside the hotel room.
During questioning, the suspect told police they decided to surrender after seeing news coverage and social media posts about the case.
A claimed the dispute began after the tourist discovered they were transgender and reacted with shock before refusing to pay an agreed 1,000 baht fee, causing a heated argument.
They admitted damaging items in the room during the dispute, including throwing a drinking glass and a hairdryer into a toilet.
The suspect denied taking 2,000 baht that the tourist claimed had gone missing but admitted that toward the end of the incident they kicked open a glass door to re-enter the room after the tourist refused to let them retrieve their belongings.
DailyNews reported that they then took 9,000 baht in cash from the room before leaving the hotel.
Police said that despite the money being returned, the case cannot be settled privately because it falls under the criminal offence of theft at night, which is considered a public prosecution case under Thai law.
Investigators have formally charged the suspect and taken them into custody. The suspect is expected to be brought before court for a detention hearing.
Police also urged people who engage with tourists to be transparent about personal information to reduce conflicts that could escalate into violence.
Similarly, back in February, a South Korean tourist lost more than 20,000 baht after a late-night dispute at a rented pool villa in Chon Buri, following a meeting with a group of transgender women in Pattaya’s Walking Street area.
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