CHON BURI - A South Korean tourist became another victim of a street thief in Pattaya on Saturday while a motorcycle taxi driver was nabbed for allegedly snatching two gold necklaces from a Finnish couple visiting this beach town.
Police went to Soi Pornprapanimit 2 in tambon Nong Preu of Bang Lamung district near Chang Freekick club, a football stadium in Pattaya, after being reported about the robbery involving the South Korean man at around 2am on Saturday.
Lee Young Won, 41, who sustained bruises on his neck, told police that he and his compatriots were walking along the soi when a man riding a motorcycle snatched his 75,000-baht gold necklace and fled away.
Witnesses who were sitting near the football stadium said they heard the tourists shouting for help. They immediately came to check and chased the thief, but failed to catch him.
Police would examine footage of closed-circuit television cameras to find clues about the suspect.
Meanwhile, a 23-year-old motorcycle taxi driver was caught on late Friday night for allegedly snatching two gold necklaces from a Finnish couple in the resort town on Thursday.
Seized from Patthapon Tormudbamrung was a crash helmet, a motorcycle taxi queue jacket and a motorcycle believed to be used in the robbery, Pol Col Apichai Krobphet, Pattaya police chief, said during a media briefing.
Mr Patthapon said he earned 200 baht a day taking people around Pattaya. The income was not enough to feed his family and this drove him to commit the crime, he allegedly told police.
He reportedly confessed to having snatched the two gold necklaces from a Finnish woman in broad daylight in Pattaya on Thursday.
The victim, Raimo Kalevi, 53, was walking with her Finnish husband on Soi Bunkanchanaram in Bang Lamung district when the robber snatched her two gold necklaces worth about 50,000 baht.
The suspect reportedly claimed it was the third time he snatched gold necklaces from victims. He was earlier arrested last year and later freed.
After snatching the necklaces from the Finnish woman, he sold them for 7,500 baht. He claimed he needed money to buy milk for his one-year-old baby.
The suspect apologised to the Finnish couple for his action, which tarnished the tourism reputation of Pattaya city. He was held in police custody for legal action.
Earlier, Pattaya police had been asked to step up vigilance to clamp down on snatchers following several cases of foreign visitors falling victims to street thieves.
Patthapon Tormudbamrung (seated left), a motorcycle taxi driver, is caught for allegedly snatching two gold necklaces from a Finnish couple (seated right) in Pattaya on Thursday. (Photo by Chaiyot Pupattanapong)