At 7pm on the 25th of December Pattaya Police Captain Visanu was informed of an incident in Pratumnak, South Pattaya, where a foreign tourist had had a gold necklace stolen by some snatch and grab robbers.
the scene of the crime between Soi’s 5 and 6 off the Pratamnuk Road he met Mr. Ivan Alexcev aged 25 a Russian national who said that he had just left his hotel with a couple of friends to take a walk when two Thai youths on a Honda Motorcycle pulled up and the pillion rider snatched the 24 karat necklace worth about 70,000 Baht from his neck and then rode off at high speed.
He was able to give a good description of the two thieves and the motorcycle they used in the robbery. The police soon spotted the culprits near the Pattaya - Suvarnabhumi bus station on Tappraya Road near the junction with Theppraset Road.
The two suspects Khun Pishit aged 19 from Sisaket and Khun Nuchapon also aged 19 from Chachoengsao were taken into custody and transported to Pattaya Police Station for interrogation. They soon admitted to the theft of the gold necklace and also a string of similar robberies in Pattaya over the past few weeks using the proceeds of the robberies to buy drugs.
Mr. Ivan got a surprise Christmas present - his gold necklace back. Presumably he will leave it in the hotel safe before he goes for his next walk. The thieves got a free vacation with all meals and accommodation included courtesy of Santa Somchai and Captain Visanu.
