Authorities in Pattaya Thailand have arrested a 39 year-old British man on theft charges on 2 separate robberies. He allegedly stole a motorcycle from a woman and a wallet containing some cash from another man.
Pattaya Police Superintendent Pol Col Khemmarin Phitsamai said Ben Frost, 39, was apprehended on Pattaya Klang Road. He initially denied the charges but later confessed after police showed him the evidence.
Ms. Chanida Muangsak, 30, told police that her motorcycle was parked at the entrance of Soi 5 on Pattaya Beach Road and had disappeared at around noon. She had asked people in the area who told her a foreign man might have stolen her bike.
She and her friends had tried in vain to find the man so she filed the Pattaya police complaint. Police said security camera video showed the bike being taken.
Meanwhile, Mr. Natthawut Damdong, 23, told police that the suspect had joined him while he was drinking alone at a beer bar. Mr Natthawut left to get a bottle of beer for the suspect, but when he returned his wallet was gone.
He told Pattaya Police his wallet containing about 900 baht in cash, credit cards and identification. The Briton also took his mobile phone and fled on a motorcycle.
After investigating both witness accounts, Pol Col Khemmarin sought approval from the Pattaya court to arrest the British suspect. Frost had entered Thailand on a tourist visa five days ago.
The Briton is now in police custody pending legal action and most likely extradition from Thailand
Source: Bangkok Post, Daily News
Pattaya Police Photos of Witness Interview: