Pattaya-
On April 28th, 2025, at 4:00 PM, at the Pattaya Tourist Police Station, Pol. Lt. Col. Torlap Tinamat, Pol. Lt. Col. Supharat Meeprecha, Pol. Maj. Apichart Jarurak, and Chonburi Immigration Police held a press conference to announce the arrest of an Iranian couple who deceived tourists by asking to inspect their money before using tricks to steal it in Pattaya. The suspects, Mr. Ahmadi Fiouj Hooshang, 49, and Mrs. Mahmodi Kiya Ameneh, 42, both Iranian nationals, were charged with “jointly committing theft at night or receiving stolen goods.”
On April 24, 2025, at 9:11 PM, the Tourist Police Hotline (1155) received a report from an Israeli tourist stating that two foreigners, a man and a woman resembling Middle Easterners, tricked him into showing his U.S. dollars, after which $700 went missing. The incident occurred in front of Twin Palms Resort. Officers from the Tourist Police Division 4 promptly investigated, interviewed the victim, and accompanied him to file a complaint at Pattaya City Police Station. Following an investigation, they learned the two suspects were staying in a room in the Jomtien area.
Working with Chonburi Immigration Police, officers conducted a search and found the Iranian couple, whose appearances matched the victim’s description. A search revealed clothing worn during the incident and seven $100 U.S. bills in a wallet, with serial numbers matching those reported by the victim. The suspects were detained and handed over to investigators to face charges of joint theft at night or receiving stolen goods, with legal proceedings to follow.
The Tourist Police Command also issued a public advisory urging tourists and residents to be cautious with personal belongings. Suspicious behavior can be reported to the Tourist Police Hotline (1155), available 24/7.
The scam, according to police, basically entails the suspects striking up a friendly conversation and asking where the victim is from or where they have traveled to. They then pretend to claim they have never seen foreign money before, getting the victim to show it, leading to the short change scam. TPN Media notes there have been other similar arrests in the past in Thailand and that police warn tourists to never show strangers your money or the location of your funds.
