Pattaya, Chonburi – On February 26th, 2026, at approximately 3:06 p.m., officers from the Tourist Police Division 4, Region 2, under the Tourist Police Bureau Region 1, successfully apprehended a suspect wanted for robbing a Chinese tourist in a hotel room incident that occurred earlier this month.
The arrest followed a warrant issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court (No. J.114/2569, dated February 25, 2026). The suspect, identified as Atikun Muangmungkhun, aged 20, was taken into custody inside room 502 of a residence in Soi Pattaya 13/2.
The operation was led by Pol. Lt. Col. Prapda Suksunthee, Superintendent of Tourist Police Sub-Division 4, Region 2, in line with directives to crack down on individuals, particularly transgender women, engaging in predatory behavior targeting tourists, which damages the image of Pattaya as a safe tourism destination.
The incident dated back to the early hours of February 1st, 2026, when a Chinese tourist reportedly ran naked from his hotel room seeking help from hotel staff, who then alerted the police. The victim claimed he had met two transgender women on Pattaya Beach and invited them to his room. Once there, they allegedly threatened him, robbed him of 10,000 baht in cash and an iPhone 15 Pro Max smartphone, and fled the scene.
During the raid, officers discovered five transgender individuals in the room, some of whom were still asleep on the bed. The suspect matched the description and was positively identified. Police presented CCTV footage from the hotel and the recovered stolen iPhone as key evidence, leading the suspect to surrender without resistance.
Authorities noted that members of this group had previously been linked to an assault and robbery targeting a German tourist on Pattaya Beach, for which some associates had already been arrested, and an ongoing case involving the robbery of a South Korean tourist as well, as stated here.
The suspect and confiscated items were handed over to investigators for further legal proceedings on charges of joint robbery at night, involving weapons or committed by two or more persons to facilitate the theft or removal of property.
