UAE tourist loses 14,500 baht to foreign pickpockets in Pattaya
A tourist from the United Arab Emirates lost about 14,500 baht in cash after being pickpocketed by two foreign men in Pattaya on Tuesday, Jan 14.
The victim, identified as 45-year-old Mohamed Abdelkaliq Abdalla Khadim Almaazmi, filed a complaint with Mueang Pattaya Police Station at around 7am after discovering that cash was missing from his trouser pocket.
Almaazmi told police he believed he was targeted when a foreign man approached and greeted him in an alley near the Marine Plaza Hotel in southern Pattaya. At the time, he was standing by the roadside with a woman and was distracted by the conversation, unaware that a theft was taking place.
Police reviewed CCTV footage from the area and identified two foreign suspects. One was wearing a black T-shirt and the other a blue T-shirt, and the pair arrived together on a motorcycle.
The footage shows the man in the black shirt approaching Almaazmi, greeting him warmly and briefly embracing him. During the interaction, the suspect discreetly slipped his hand into the victim’s trouser pocket and removed the cash.
He then placed the money into his own shorts pocket, continued chatting briefly, and walked away as if nothing had happened. Investigators said the second suspect remained nearby on the motorcycle, apparently acting as a lookout, before both men fled the scene.
Police warned the public, particularly foreign tourists, to remain vigilant when approached by strangers, especially in nightlife areas and quiet alleys. Officers urged anyone who may have been targeted by the same suspects, or who has information that could help identify them, to report it immediately to prevent further incidents.
