A transgender suspect allegedly snatched cash and gold necklaces from a Russian couple in Pattaya earlier this week.
Officers took the suspect into custody on the Pattaya Police Station on expenses of stealing 2,500 baht in money and two gold necklaces from fifty one yr outdated Nikolay Smirnova and fifty one yr old Elena Smirnova.
According to In record time , the suspect approached them and greeted them with a welcome hug and took selfies with them on Jomtien Beach at 10.30pm on Tuesday. It was only after the suspect walked away that the couple realised their valuables had gone missing.
At Pattaya Police Station, Superintendant Pol. Col. Thanapong Phothi, recognized the alleged thief as Watcharapong Ponpun, a 27 12 months outdated transgender individual from Buriram province in northeast Thailand.
The superintendent informed Pattaya News that upon receiving the theft report on May 23, he promptly initiated a search utilizing CCTV footage and eyewitness testimonies to hint the whereabouts of the suspect. Eventually, he discovered that the suspect had taken a taxi to Bangkok after selling one of the stolen gold necklaces at an undisclosed gold shop in Pattaya.
However, Pol. Col. Thanapong revealed that the wrongdoer ran out of cash and contacted the same gold shop once more to promote the remaining stolen necklace.
Pol. Col. Thanapong dispatched a team to carefully monitor the state of affairs and patiently waited till the perpetrator arrived in a taxi from Bangkok to the gold shop. As quickly as the authorities noticed Watcharapong taking out the gold necklace to promote to the buyer, they quickly intervened and apprehended Watcharapong
Initially, Watcharapong confessed to pickpocketing Nikolay and Elena on Jomtien Beach. They claimed that it was their first time committing such a crime and admitted to using the stolen cash for on-line playing, lending it to friends, and daily bills.
Watcharapong is at present in police custody awaiting further expenses as the investigation progresses.
There have been several thefts by transgender individuals in Pattaya in the past 12 months..