Bangkok —
A motorcycle taxi rider in Bangkok has been arrested for allegedly stealing 15,000 baht from a Russian tourist after tricking her during a ride.
On December 16th, the police at Phra Ratchawang Police Station arrested a motorcycle taxi rider who works for a ride-sharing app after he allegedly stole money from a Russian female tourist. The incident took place on Maharaj Road near the Grand Palace on the afternoon of December 13th, 2024.
According to Pol. Col. Phawat Watthasupat, the station’s chief, the suspect picked up the tourist after she booked him through the app. Upon arriving at the meeting point, he saw the tourist counting money and became greedy. He then drove past the meeting point, canceled the service on the app, and covered the motorcycle’s license plate with a mask.
When the tourist requested a new ride, the suspect pretended to be the new driver, and after successfully persuading the tourist to come with him, he tricked her into placing her bag near his motorbike’s footrest, claiming that it would prevent the bag from being snatched.
As they drove towards Wat Saket, the suspect changed direction, secretly stole 15,000 baht from the tourist’s bag, and then returned her to the original location, claiming to have made a mistake.
Pol. Col. Phawat revealed that after the crime, the suspect swapped his motorcycle for another one, which he borrowed from a friend to commit the crime. He also used a doll to cover the license plate to avoid being tracked.
However, Bangkok police eventually identified the suspect’s motorcycle using CCTV footage. On December 15th, they arrested the suspect, only identified as Mr Banpot, a 29-year-old Thai man. Mr. Banpot confessed to the crime, claiming it was his first offense (which was later found to be false) and that he spent the stolen money on gambling.
The tourist, Ms. Anna, later returned to the police station and was relieved that the police apprehended the suspect and were working to recover her money. She also stated that she would not judge all Thais based on this experience and would consider returning to Thailand in the future, though she would be more cautious.
Mr. Banpot faces charges of theft using a vehicle, which is punishable by up to 3 years in prison and a fine of up to 60,000 baht. He also has a criminal record for previous theft-related offenses despite claiming it was his first time initially, Pol. Col. Phawat revealed.
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