Armed Robber Posing as Motorbike Taxi Driver Robs Thai and Foreign Tourists in Pattaya, Still at Large

Pattaya-

At 8:46 PM on April 20th, 2025, Lt. Col. Panasarn Krongsit, Deputy Chief of the Pattaya City Police Station, received a report of an armed robber targeting tourists in Soi Phratamnak 5. After notifying his superiors, including Col. Anek Sratongyoo, Chief of Pattaya City Police Station, and Lt. Col. Arun Sapanon, Deputy Chief of Investigations, a team of investigators, The Pattaya News, and tourist police rushed to the scene.

At the location, the victim, Ms. Wichayada (last name withheld), a 21-year-old Thai woman, reported that a male suspect wearing an orange motorcycle taxi vest approached her on a motorbike, asking if she needed a ride. She declined, saying she could walk as it was nearby, and tried to walk away. However, the suspect followed her, blocked her path, and brandished a firearm to intimidate her. Panicked, Ms. Wichayada fled to a nearby hotel to seek help from locals, prompting the suspect to speed off.

The suspect then targeted another victim, Miss Liliia, a Russian tourist traveling with a friend and her three-year-old daughter. They were walking out of a market in Soi Phratamnak 6 when the suspect, believed to be the same man as the prior incident wearing an orange motorcycle taxi vest, circled them three times on his motorbike. Seizing an opportunity in a secluded alley, he approached, pulled out a gun, and demanded their belongings. Fearing for her daughter’s safety, Miss Liliia handed over 3,100 baht, and the suspect fled the scene.

Lt. Col. Panasarn immediately issued a radio alert to apprehend the suspect based on the victims’ descriptions, focusing on possible escape routes, but the suspect remained at large. Police coordinated with investigative units and tourist police to gather evidence from witnesses and CCTV footage to track down the suspect for legal action.