Songkran sham: Pattaya slashers rob tourists in beach bag blag
What was meant to be a splash-tastic celebration turned into a soggy Songkran nightmare for dozens of tourists in Pattaya, after crafty crooks dipped their fingers into more than just water buckets.
Over 20 foreign tourists were left high and dry after falling victim to a wave of pickpockets and bag slashers during the wild Songkran water festivities along Central Pattaya Beach Road on Saturday, April 19.
The spree struck around 5.50pm, with victims flooding into the local police station just a stone’s throw away from the scene, between Soi 7 and Soi 8, an area packed with beer bars and revellers.
Among the victims were five tourists whose bags were deliberately slashed open, another five who had their pockets picked clean, and more than ten who returned to collect forgotten belongings only to find them gone.
The light-fingered thieves made off with a haul including Thai and foreign cash, as well as top-end tech like the latest iPhone 15 and 16 models, reported Pattaya News.
Police Colonel Anek Sratongyu, superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, said officers had been deployed to protect tourists but warned that “some criminals disguised themselves as tourists to commit these crimes.”
“Investigators have been ordered to examine CCTV footage along the beach road to identify and apprehend the suspects.”
With Songkran drawing huge crowds year after year, police now face mounting pressure to dry up crime before the next wave of water warriors hits town.
Meanwhile, Pattaya was transformed into a high-tech fortress at this year’s Songkran, as police prepared for the unstoppable tidal wave of revellers at Thailand’s wildest water extravaganza.
In a dramatic turn of events on April 18, Police Lieutenant General Yingyot Thepjamnong, chief of Provincial Police Region 2, stormed into Pattaya City Police Station for a full-scale inspection. The mission? To ensure top-notch security and traffic control for the water-soaked spectacle.
It was just a shame they missed the pickpockets.
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