Pattaya, Thailand – At 1:06 AM on May 19th, 2025, Pattaya City Police, led by Pol. Col. Anek Sarathongyoo, Chief of Pattaya City Police Station, and Pol. Maj. Arut Saphanont, Deputy Superintendent of Investigations, announced the arrest of two suspects involved in a string of thefts targeting intoxicated tourists in luxury pool villas.
The operation, overseen by Pol. Lt. Gen. Yingyot Thepjamnong, Commander of Provincial Police Region 2, resulted in the apprehension of the suspects at a rented house in Soi Khao Makok.
The suspects, identified as Mr. Athip “Arm” Somluefsaen, 31, and Mr. Kun, a 22-year-old Cambodian national, were found with over 100 stolen items, including luxury watches, Louis Vuitton bags, Nintendo gaming consoles, mobile phones, ID cards, credit cards, electronic cards, and foreign currency. The total value of the stolen goods is estimated to be several hundred thousand baht.
The arrests followed multiple complaints from Thai and foreign tourists staying at Palm Spring and Palm Oasis Village pool villas, who reported thefts throughout May. Police investigations, including CCTV footage analysis, revealed two male suspects using a motorcycle to carry out the crimes. After tracking them to the rented house, authorities recovered the stolen items and detained the suspects.
During interrogation, both suspects confessed to the thefts, admitting they targeted villas where tourists were partying and became intoxicated. They would wait until the victims were asleep before stealing valuables and fleeing. The stolen goods were stored and gradually sold to fund their daily expenses and drug use. One suspect, a former contractor who had worked on the villas, used his knowledge of the properties’ layouts to facilitate the crimes.
The suspects have been handed over to investigators for legal proceedings, and the recovered items will be returned to their owners upon presentation of proof of ownership.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Yingyot urged villa operators and tourists to remain alert, advising them to secure doors and windows to prevent similar incidents.
