Pattaya-
At 23:30 PM over this past weekend, Pol. Lt. Phu Pha Hongyakun, Deputy Investigation Officer at Pattaya City Police Station received a report from an Indian tourist who had been robbed of a gold necklace by a suspect identified as a transgender woman. The incident occurred on the Pattaya beachfront, opposite the Orient Massage shop, less than 100 meters from the Tourist Police Center.
At the scene, the victim, Mr. Kirubakaran Sankar, 24, from India, was waiting to give a statement to officers with a distressed expression, accompanied by friends. He stated to The Pattaya News that prior to the incident, he had been strolling along the beach enjoying the nighttime atmosphere after checking into a hotel in South Pattaya.
While walking and taking in the view, two transgender women approached, greeted him, attempted to hug and touch his body, and offered sexual services. The victim refused and tried to walk away. Within minutes, the group hurriedly fled suspiciously. The victim then discovered his gold necklace, valued at over 70,000 baht, was missing.
The victim is certain the transgender women were responsible and attempted to pursue them but could not locate them. He then reported the incident to Pattaya City Police.
Initially, Pol. Lt. Phu Pha Hongyakun recorded the incident in the daily log as evidence and coordinated with the investigation team to review CCTV footage in the area, which is expected to clearly capture the moment of the crime and serve as a lead to track down and prosecute the suspects.
However, this is not the first such incident on Pattaya Beach. In the past, numerous tourists have fallen victim to individuals blending in along the beachfront and entertainment venues, using tactics of subtle hugging and playful interaction before seizing the moment to snatch necklaces or wallets and flee.
Despite the incident occurring near the Tourist Police Center, which is staffed 24 hours a day, such crimes continue to happen persistently, damaging the reputation of Pattaya as a world-class tourist destination.
