A burglar snatched almost 100,000 baht from a Hong Kong tourist’s rented Pattaya villa on Friday night, according to the victim. The victim’s villa is located in Jomtien Beach.
The victim, Ng Ho Hin, told police the thief also nabbed a Bluetooth speaker.
Hin said he had been out all day, and noticed at night that the items were missing. He said his black handbag containing 60,000 baht and HK$8,000 (about 34,000 baht) was gone. His Bluetooth speaker was also gone, Pattaya Mail reported.
Police checked security cameras to identify the burglar.
Pattaya has become a major hub for thefts against tourists and foreigners.
In November, two Pattaya thieves snatched valuables from Thai and Dutch tourists at a hotel. The thieves stole 4,000 baht in cash from the Dutch victim. Meanwhile, the thieves snatched the Thai victim’s purse, which contained 500 baht in cash, and a smartphone worth 5,000 baht.
In September, a burglar managed to snatch more than 50,000 baht from a Chinese woman in East Pattaya. The burglar stole 50,000 baht from the pocket of a pair of her trousers and another 1,000 baht left on a nightstand.
Apart from burglaries like this, many of Pattaya’s thieves have also pickpocketed tourists. Last month, thieves stole cash and belongings from an Indian man in Pattaya. The victim said the thieves took his wallet which had 2,000 baht in cash, and a mobile phone that cost about 10,000 baht from his pocket before speeding away.
In November, another thief pickpocketed a Korean tourist in Pattaya. The tourist said he was walking on Pattaya Beach with friends when the thief walked up to him and tried to seduce him. Lee declined the offer, and the stranger hugged him before leaving.
Lee then realized that the stranger had snatched money worth 5,000 baht out of his fanny pack.
After the massive theft of the Hong Kong tourist’s home on Friday night, the police will hopefully be able to catch the crook soon. – The Thaiger
