Pattaya robber 'needed funds for sex change operation'

Pattaya robber 'needed funds for sex change operation'

A Russian tourist identifies the robbers from their photos at the police station in Pattaya. (Photo by Chaiyot Pupattanapong)
A Russian tourist identifies the robbers from their photos at the police station in Pattaya. (Photo by Chaiyot Pupattanapong)

PATTAYA: A transgender woman was arrested Tuesday on charges of theft after she and a friend allegedly stole a gold necklace and cash worth 150,000 baht from a Russian tourist last week, police said.

Sakda Nuchwong, 26, known as "Nong Noey of Walking Street", was nabbed at her room in Central Pattaya a day after police obtained a warrant for her arrest from the Pattaya court.

The suspect said she and a transgender friend, who is still at large, took the valuables from the tourist, who was not identified, after going back to his hotel room on Oct 10.

She said she and the friend approached the tourist who was drinking at an entertainment venue on Walking Street. Police say they came up with a plan to swindle the tourist and, after ingratiating themselves with him, Nong Noey and her accomplice volunteered to accompany the tourist back to his hotel room on Pattaya Sai 3 Road.

After arriving at his room, they saw an open safe containing valuables, and when the tourist went to the bathroom, the pair took 4,000 baht cash and a gold necklace. The total value of the theft was about 150,000 baht, according to Pol Col Apichai Krobpetch of Pattaya municipal police station in Chon Buri province.

"Nong Noey" recounted that she and her friend then said good-bye to the tourist and left. The drunken Russian man went straight to bed and was not aware of the missing valuables until he woke up the next morning, according to police.

Police said they tracked Ms Sakda to her room using security camera footage and gathered evidence needed to seek the arrest warrant.

According to her testimony, she said she needed to steal money because she was saving money for a sex change operation.

Police said they had identified Ms Sakda's alleged accomplice and expected to make an arrest soon.

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