Three Men Arrested after Robbing Swedish Woman in Hua Hin

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HUA HIN – Police have arrested three men accused of robbing a Swedish woman of cash and an iPhone shortly after coming to her assistance when she fell off her motorcycle.

The trio were apprehended and were taken to a media briefing in Hua Hin on Saturday.

They have been charged with robbing Swedish tourist Vanja Agren of 7,000 baht in cash and an iPhone in Hua Hin on the morning of May 4, said Pol Maj Gen Kritsana Jaemsawang, chief of the Prachuap Khiri Khan police.

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Footage from a closed-circuit television camera near the robbery scene recorded the incident that led to the arrests.

Police said Mr Kamphol told them that around 5am on May 4, they came across the tourist, who was injured after falling off her motorcycle.

He and his friends approached the woman to help her. But when they noticed she was carrying several thousand baht and an iPhone, greed got the better of them. They snatched her handbag and fled with on a motorcycle.

The suspects returned the stolen iPhone to the tourist, who came to identify them on Saturday. However, they had spent all the stolen money.

Ms Agren said she felt sad that the three men, whom she thought were Good Samaritans coming to her rescue, turned out to be thieves. If they had told her that they needed money, she would have given it to them, she said.

She was happy that police acted swiftly to arrest the suspects.

Tourist safety in Hua Hin has been a subject of concern since the emergence of a shocking video last month showing three British visitors being beaten unconscious by four local men.

The incident took place on April 13 but did not come to public attention until the video, taken from a security camera, was leaked two weeks later. All four suspects are now in custody.