A Lebanese man and a Thai transvestite were arrested for using fake ATM cards to skim ATMs in the Pattaya area.
Pol. Lt. Col. Chidecha Songhong, deputy chief at Najomtien Police Station and director of the Chonburi Provincial Transnational Crime Suppression Center, led a team of officers in arresting Suthat Prompakdee, 42, and Mohamad Tamassili Khanji, 36, for ATM skimming.
They were caught with seven bogus ATM cards and other personal belongings including a black Toyota Vios.
Chidecha said there had been reports of skimmers working in Banglamung and Pattaya as well as nearby provinces.
The Lebanese man was caught wearing a white mask and the ladyboy was driving the Toyota. They were spotted at a Siam Commercial Bank ATM across the street from the Ambassador Hotel and again at a Kasikorn Bank machine in Najomtien Soi 13.
Pattaya Police later contacted Najomtien Police to nab the pair.
Police said Suthat claimed he was hired by Khanji to take him around to various ATM machines. His pay would be 1,000 baht a day plus 200-300 baht extra for petrol.
Khanji told police he got the fake ATM cards from a Cambodian friend, police said.
