Thieves Rent Bangkok Taxi to Rob Pattaya Ladyboys

July 11, 2012

Two men rented a taxi from Bangkok and drove to Pattaya to rob ladyboys. After picking up two friends in Pattaya, the four men kidnapped and robbed several ladyboys. Three thieves were later caught in Pattaya while the fourth thief was driving the taxi back to Bangkok

PATTAYA – July 9, 2012 [PDN]; At 3 p.m., Pol. Lt. Col. Supphachai Puikaewkham, Deputy Superintendent, Pattaya police station, Chonburi province; and Pol. Lt. Col. Anak Prasongsuk, Inspector; together with a detective police team arrested three men accused of robbing ladyboys.

The defendants were Mr. Apinan or Bang Kongpeng, 31, (the head of gang) with a listed address at 137/1 Moo 4 Tambon Chiangthong, Amphur Muang, Tak province; Mr. Dechsak or Garfield Katekaew,22, at the address 115 Moo 1 Tambon Tathevavong, Amphur KohSeechang, Chonburi province; and Mr. Suwat or Bell Khammapanai,20, address at 20 Moo 9 Baan Raiteng, Tambon Baandan, Amphur Baandanlanhoi, Sukhothai province.

The men were caught with cash totaling 5,560 THB. The four ladyboy victims, (using the aliases “Mr. M,” “Mr. Pop,” “Mr. Um” and “Mr. May”) later pointed out the men to police to confirm they were the robbers.

“Mr. M” told police that during that morning, he and “Mr. Pop” were walking along Pattaya Second Road in South Pattaya, when four men in a pink-colored taxi parked beside them and forced them to get in the taxi. The men then ordered the ladyboys to take them to the ladyboys’ room in Soi Sanarm Muay, central Pattaya.

The four thieves forced the ladyboys to make phone calls to deceive two ladyboy friends, “Mr. Um” and “Mr. May,” and get them to come to the room. When the two friends arrived, the four thieves beat them and forced them to get cash for more than 10,000 THB. The robbers also took a DVD player and 3 mobile phones before escaping.

Pol. Lt. Col. Supphachai Puikaewkham revealed that after the victims notified him, he commanded the detective police team to find the thieves. The police team later found and arrested three defendants walking on Pattaya Third Road in central Pattaya: Mr. Apinan, Mr. Dechsak and Mr. Suwat.

Mr. Apinan confessed that a “Mr. B” (the escaped defendant), who used to live in Pattaya, had persuaded him to rob the ladyboys in Pattaya because Mr. B knew that the money ladyboys received from tourists was more than 100,000 THB.

Mr. Apinan and Mr. B then hired a taxi from Praram 2, Bangkok, to go to Pattaya. During the ride, Mr. Apinan told the taxi driver that when they arrived in Pattaya, he wanted to rent the taxi temporarily for personal business.

He offered to pay 15,000 THB for the personal rental and gave a deposit of 2,000 THB to the taxi driver. After arriving in Pattaya, Mr. Apinan and Mr. B picked up Mr. Dechsak and Mr. Suwat in south Pattaya. The men then cruised in the taxi to find the victims until they found the two ladyboys walking on Pattaya Second Road. They forced them to get in the taxi and robbed them at the victims’ room and shared the stolen property. Then Mr. B drove the taxi back to Bangkok, but Mr. Apinan, Mr. Dechsak and Mr. Suwat remained to travel around Pattaya, so they were arrested by the police.

After investigating, the police believe that the taxi driver may also be involved in the robbery. The police have restrained the 3 defendants to investigate further, and plan to arrest the escapee Mr. B to prosecute according to the law.