Pattaya’s latest gold thief flees to Sri Racha

UPDATE

Pattaya’s latest gold thief has fled to the Sri Racha district of Chon Buri, according to Pattaya Police. This news comes after the thief on Sunday managed to steal a gold necklace and ring worth 46,000 baht from a woman.

Police Chief Colonel Kunlachart Kunlachai told The Pattaya News that police traced the crook’s motorcycle route using CCTV footage.

Pattaya and Sri Racha police then found the motorcycle from the footage. They held a stakeout in the area to try to capture the thief but were unsuccessful. The officers located the suspect’s rental room, but they only found a person who appeared to be the suspect’s mother, according to a police report.

Kunlachart said that the thief’s clothes, shoes, and a red woollen hat that he reportedly wore when he committed the crime were seized. Pattaya police would summon the suspect for interrogation and then issue an arrest warrant if he did not show up.

The victim, 54 year old Kulab Tansanthiayu, said the man approached her on his motorcycle and told her that he would shoot her if she didn’t give him her necklace and ring.

ORIGINAL STORY

There’s been another gold jewellery theft in Pattaya, but this time, a few things are different from the usual stories. No ladyboys or tourists were involved, and the theft happened in broad daylight.

The thief yesterday managed to steal a gold necklace and ring worth 46,000 baht from 54 year old Kulab Tansanthiayu, The Pattaya News reported.

Kulab said the suspect, a Thai man on a motorcycle, had approached her from behind and asked for the necklace and ring. She said he also asked for a 50 baht banknote. Kulab said she tried to beg the man to leave her alone, but he threatened to shoot her if she didn’t obey him. After he had stolen the jewellery, the man fled the scene on his motorcycle with no license plate.

Pattaya police were reviewing CCTV footage to track down the crook. Kulab said the man was 160–165 centimetres tall and was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, long black trousers, and a red woollen hat.

Pattaya has become a haven for gold necklace thefts this year, mainly involving opportunist ladyboy thieves and Indian tourists. Dozens of incidents have been reported and it is a surprise a war has not broken out between the Indian tourists and ladyboys.

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.”

In July, Pattaya police announced that an Indian tourist reported that a transgender woman stole his 30,000 baht gold necklace.

There was also a gold necklace theft against a Russian tourist earlier this month.

Hopefully, Kulab will get her jewellery back soon.