A 43-year-old transgender has been arrested in Bangkok for allegedly defrauding hundreds of Japanese tourists out of tens of millions of baht over a period of 10 years "to get revenge".
Uthai Nanthakhan was arrested in front of the Mittraphap Tiara Hotel on Soi Boonyu of Phaya Thai district late on Sunday night, immigration chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn said on Monday.
The arrest followed a complaint from the Japanese embassy in Bangkok that 10 Japanese tourists and businessmen had been cheated out of more than 10 million baht in total by a transgender in the past two months.
The crimes mostly happened at night entertainment venues along Sukhumvit Road and Thong Lor Road, he said.
According to Pol Lt Gen Surachate the suspect confessed to the crimes.
The suspect said when he was a second-year university student, a Japanese tourist had persuaded him to accompany him on a trip to Bali. The man then left him to pay the bill for all their accommodation.
Afterwards, he took his revenge by defrauding Japanese visitors. He claimed to be a Taiwanese or Hong Kong tourist who lost his wallet. When his sympathetic victims offered him help, he said he would ask his family to send money into his intended victims' accounts.
Uthai then claimed the money was on its way but would take some days to arrive. In the meantime, could they give him an advance on the money?
"Police have found that the suspect committed this same crime for more than 10 years and defrauded hundreds of victims out of tens of millions of baht. He spent the money on entertainment, boys and online gambling," Pol Lt Gen Surachate said.
Uthai had been arrested and jailed for such crimes on several occasions, he said.