Tourists shop for street foods in Bangkok’s Chinatown, Thailand, Jan. 19, 2023. Photo by Reuters
Thai police have detained a group of five Mongolian nationals for allegations of pickpocketing tourists at major attractions in Bangkok and Pattaya last week.
Their visas have been revoked and the men have also been blacklisted from Thailand, The Pattaya News reported.
A Chinese tourist filed a complaint to police on March 11 that she was pickpocketed while exploring a floating market in Pattaya, according to The Thaiger, adding her purse had contained 21,000 yuan (US$2,900) and 1,800 baht (US$50).
According to police, the pickpockets mainly operated at crowded tourist attractions and secretly opened the tourists’ bags, using umbrellas to conceal their actions.
The investigation revealed that they have committed similar crimes at several tourist attractions, shopping malls, and BTS Skytrain stations in Bangkok and Pattaya.
After weeks of following their operation, police raided a hotel in Bangkok and apprehended the suspects on Sunday.
They have been charged under Thailand’s criminal law for stealing property that carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of up to 60,000 baht.
