Serial bag snatcher who targeted tourists in Bangkok arrested again
A 55-year-old Thai woman was arrested on Friday for allegedly stealing bags of tourists visiting attractions in Bangkok, a senior police officer of the Royal Palace Station said on Saturday.
Pornthip (last name withheld), a native of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, was arrested at a condominium in the Saphan Khwai area after officials tracked her down from CCTV footage taken on March 25 at Wat Phra Chetuphon, a temple attraction in Bangkok.
Police said a South Korean tourist alerted officials after his bag, which he had left on a baby stroller, went missing while he was taking photos of the temple. The surveillance footage showed the suspect taking the bag and leaving the scene, police said.
At the suspect’s condominium, police said they had found the clothes that she had worn on March 25, the victim’s bag, as well as another leather bag belonging to another tourist.
Pornthip reportedly confessed that she has been stealing tourists’ belongings since 2010, targeting temples, public parks, and shopping malls which drew foreigners.
She reportedly told police that her modus operandi was to grab the victims’ belongings while they were taking photos, eating, or admiring the views.
Pornthip said she sold most of the stolen goods and used the money for her daily expenses, and was also saving up to open a coffee shop.
Police criminal records revealed that Pornthip had been arrested 11 times for theft in several areas across Bangkok, including Pathumwan, Bang Sue, and Suvarnabhumi Airport. She was given a prison sentence in 2023 for drug possession and completed her term in March this year.
