Tourist’s purse snatched in Patong

PATONG: Two men who appeared to be Thai snatched a handbag from a Japanese tourist while she walked along a road at Patong Beach at approximately 7:40 pm on Saturday. According to Pol Capt Boonlert On-klang, the case investigator, Nana Nishizawa, 23, reported that two men were involved. One, described by Ms Nishizawa as a young Thai with long hair, was waiting on a motorbike without a license plate. The second man, who also appeared to be Thai, had short hair and was dressed in a black shirt and pants. He was sitting on a bench near the road where she was walking. The man with short hair snatched her bag as she walked past and ran to the waiting motorbike. A Thai man who witnessed the incident chased the motorbike until he reached Kalim Bay where a pick-up truck pulling out onto the road blocked him. According to the police report, there was 21,000 yen, 500 baht, and a camera inside Ms Nishizawa’s bag. She returned to Japan on Sunday. Police say they are still searching for the thieves.