A man was arrested in connection with the robbery of a foreign tourist on September 2. The incident occurred near the intersection by the Pattaya Blind School in Soi Naklua 16, where Ms Aisylu Karimova, a 34-year-old Russian tourist, had her mobile phone stolen by a young Thai man.
The suspect, estimated to be between 18-20 years old, initially approached Ms Karimova with a friendly demeanour, asking how long she had been in Thailand and offering to show her around Pattaya. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly grabbed her phone and fled the scene.
Ms Karimova immediately chased after the thief and sought help from local residents, who directed her to the Banglamung Police Station to file a report. Determined to recover her phone, she collaborated closely with the police, reviewing CCTV footage and participating in the search operation. This effort led to the arrest of the suspect, identified as Rungtawan S, at a rental room on Pattaya-Naklua Road.
Rungtawan confessed to the robbery. He revealed that he worked as a sound system technician but had recently lost his life savings of approximately 130,000 baht to online gambling, specifically baccarat. Desperate for money to continue gambling, he resorted to theft.
The police were able to recover the stolen item, a gold-coloured Infinix mobile phone valued at around 15,000 baht. Deputy Superintendent Pol. Lt. Col. Kornpong Sukhawisit noted that Rungtawan was not a professional criminal but had acted out of desperation. After a thorough investigation and review of CCTV footage, the police successfully located and arrested Rungtawan. He has been charged with theft and will face prosecution according to the law.
